Workplaces after coronavirus: fewer meetings, no handshakes, more masks and not coming in when ill

Around the world countries are hitting their coronavirus peaks and starting to grapple with questions about when and how to reopen their economies. But those fortunate enough not to have lost their jobs should be prepared for a “new normal” when they finally go back to work, experts say. Here is a preview of what to expect. Handshakes are out “indefinitely”, said Tom Frieden, a former director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Next, offices will need to start thinking about practical measures. “Can we have doors that don’t have to be opened by people? Should we be taking the temperatures of all people who enter?” he told reporters. No-touch hand sanitiser dispensers will become common. Steps may be taken to reduce overcrowding in common spaces, and computers and phones may no longer be shared – an end to hot desking. Mask use will be encouraged, and some workplaces may provide them. Businesses like supermarkets are already keeping down the number of people who can enter, placing clear plastic barriers between employees and customers and enforcing physical distancing – this could be extended to all shops, cafes and face-to-face engagements. Offices may also stagger working hours and have staff come in on different days so that fewer people are present at a given time – and cut meetings. “One of the positive impacts of Covid, I hope, will be fewer meetings, because there are just too many meetings,” Frieden added. “Staying at home if you are sick may be encouraged versus discouraged,” said Brandon Brown, a University of California Riverside epidemiologist. The United States has a famously brutal work culture, driven in part by the fact there is no mandatory sick leave. As a result, people tend to power through despite illness: an October 2019 nationwide survey of 2,800 workers by the accounting firm Robert Half found that 33 per cent always go in when sick. That may change. Do not ignore unexplained foul smells in bathrooms, kitchens or wash areas Advice from a recent paper published in The Lancet Telework may become more common for many, especially as people have learned during enforced lockdowns that it is possible. “One thing that we found out from this pandemic and sheltering in place at home is that in-person meetings are not always necessary,” Brown said. “Virtual meetings should be an ongoing option from here on out.” The pandemic has already extracted a devastating death toll, particularly in hard-hit regions such as New York, and the onus for providing counselling may fall to a great extent on employers. “Don’t forget a lot of people are going to go back to work having lost family members,” said Marc Wilkenfeld, a doctor who specialises in occupational medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York. “I think the bigger companies or even the smaller companies are going to need to address these issues, because you do want a workforce coming back healthy, physically and mentally.” Workplaces will continue to hammer home the message to wash hands regularly and thoroughly, Brown said. Often-touched surfaces will be cleaned more frequently, but greater attention will need to be placed on keeping bathrooms clean and improving plumbing since there is some evidence that the coronavirus can be spread via faeces. A recent paper in medical journal The Lancet recommended “do not ignore unexplained foul smells in bathrooms, kitchens or wash areas” and included tips for improving plumbing, like having functioning U-bends that prevent the outflow of sewage gases. Debate over face masks ends: Hong Kong was right all along One step towards mitigating the risk is flushing the toilet with the lid down, since a flush can release up to 80,000 contaminated droplets and leave them suspended in the air for hours if it’s not covered, a recent Hong Kong study said. But many toilets in modern workspaces lack lids – a trend that may be reversed. Expect a staggered return to the workplace. People over the age of 65 or who have underlying conditions like heart disease or diabetes are at higher risk for complications arising from Covid-19 – and their return to offices is likely to come later. “When people start to go back to work, I think that it’s going to be that not everyone goes back at the same time,” Wilkenfeld said.