The Future of Facilities and How the Pandemic Has Changed the Workplace

We’re entering a new year, and January is a time for new beginnings. Setting New Year’s resolutions is a time-honored tradition. And this year, more than most, there is a need for big changes from businesses and organizations.

2020 was a year that no one expected. First was the pandemic. Then there was a bright light cast on inequality and injustice across the nation. Finally, employee wellbeing and mental health was challenged with all the isolation and change. Businesses had to pivot over and over to deal with the past year, and there may not be a slowdown in sight.

How the Pandemic has Changed the Future Workplace

According to a Pew survey, 71% of employees that were able to do their job remotely have been working from home throughout the pandemic. Most of them, 54%, would like to continue working from home when facilities reopen.

While over half (57%) have not returned to the office because they do not want to risk catching COVID-19, now that they have gotten used to this new way of working, 60% actually prefer working from home.

The transition to teleworking has been seamless for a majority of participants. They have access to the necessary technology, equipment and workspace. And they said it has been easy to meet deadlines and work without interruptions.

However, there are still a large group of employees that miss the in-person interactions at the facility. They miss the conversations, the laughs, getting out of the house and some of the perks that were a part of the office environment and culture.

So, what is the answer?

Many organizations are considering a hybrid work model to meet the needs of their employees. This would give employees the best of both worlds.

The business gives employees the ability to return to the facility, see others, improve their mental wellbeing and enjoy the perks of the office environment while also offering the ability to work from home.

This flexible solution gives employees the ability to meet their personal needs while achieving goals for their employer. Each employee is different – some will want to be in the office with others more, while others may find they can work much more efficiently at home.

Employees have become more productive from their home offices, and their need to return to a physical facility full-time has been greatly reduced. But many still want to see their coworkers and return to their previous facilities, they just don’t want a mandatory 40-hour workweek in the office. And they feel they have already proven to the company that they can meet demands and hit deadlines both in and out of the office.

A flexible hybrid work model will benefit both employees and employers. It appeases the majority of employees, since only a mere 4% of workers wish to return to the office five days a week. And it allows for a fluid schedule for future unknowns.

Benefits of a Hybrid Model

There are significant benefits to be gained with a hybrid work model.

There are clear cost-savings and productivity gains for companies that employ a hybrid model. There are also many personal and professional benefits for workers themselves.

In CoSo’s latest Remote Collaborative Worker Survey, it shows that a flexible hybrid model for your workforce can improve productivity and employee satisfaction.

Off-site employees are motivated to work harder and more efficiently because they want to protect the benefit of working remotely. Whether it’s the ability to be more efficient at home or sheer motivation to prove off-site work is effective, remote employees report:

• 77% are more productive while working off site
• 30% accomplish more in less time
• 23% are willing to work longer hours than they would on site
• 52% are less likely to take time off when working remotely—even when sick.
• 42% feel just as connected with colleagues as when working on-premises, and 10% feel even more connected.

Beyond productivity, a happier workforce benefits every employer. It means your workforce is less stressed and healthier. That will decrease turnover costs, health insurance premiums and issues and costs of absenteeism – and of course that will produce happier customers reporting better experiences..

Maintain a Healthy Facility For Your Employees

The health of facilities and their occupants has become more important than ever for your workers and your facility.

As organizations welcome workers back into their workspaces, employees will need both physical and mental health support.

There will be challenges and they will be different for every organization.

Flagship’s Operate Responsibly Facilities Guide is designed to help businesses and organizations with questions about how to create and maintain a healthy facility.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the commercial cleaning and facilities management processes are done and how seriously they're taken. New cleaning goals include a heightened focus on safeguarding the health of your employees and occupants within your facility walls – even if they aren’t on the premises five days a week.