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THERE’S ONE THING YOU MIGHT BE MISSING FROM YOUR RETURN-TO-OFFICE PLAN

June 8, 2021

There’s one thing you may be missing from your return to office plan.

COVID-19 infection rates are down and vaccination rates up in the United States. That means many companies are now seriously considering a full or partial return to the offices they left at the outset of the pandemic. Check out a return to work project we just completed for a financial services company.

Before

After

If you want to return this fall, you need to start planning today.

And all indicators point to a need to do the work and get this transition right.

According to a recent NPR article, “Navigating the return to the office is a delicate operation that has the potential to define a company’s culture for years.”

Our team compiled a checklist to help you have a smooth transition back into your workspace:

  1. When will you return?
  2. Who will be required to return, and how for how many days per week?
  3. Have employees left or been promoted during your time away from the office and will that mean a different seat assignment?
  4. Will you have assigned seating or hoteling?
  5. Has your building set rules for mask wearing and social distancing in shared spaces?
  6. Will you have your own rules for mask wearing and social distancing in your offices?
  7. How will you handle client meetings?
  8. Did you add things like hands-free appliances and hand sanitizer stations?
  9. Has the space been deep cleaned, or cleaned at all during the pandemic?

And here’s the question that may or may not be on your list, but it should be:

  1. Do your people even want to come back?

It’s a question that the bravest business owners and managers are asking because they want to retain talented employees. You can check all the boxes, and still miss the mark. Smart company leaders are doing their best to earn their people back into the physical spaces left vacant during the past year and a half.

It’s going to take more than dusting off your cubicles

It’s true. Check out our recent blog about all the ways Infinity Group can help you maximize your square footage and make it downright gorgeous. In the past few weeks there has been a big shift in opinions and attitudes toward the return to work. Because the COVID-19 pandemic has been retreating across the United States, employee worry has shifted from concern about getting the virus at work to fear about losing freedom and flexibility. If employees are required to return to the office, will they lose their current work-life balance?

A study by Microsoft reveals that workplace flexibility and hybrid work are more than just trends, they’re here to stay.

Ron Wilson, Infinity Group Preconstruction Manager said, “The average Infinity Group construction phase takes about 2-4 months. The typical strategy, design, architecture, and engineering phases can add another 2 months before construction begins.”

“If you do the math, it’s clear that if your company wants to see tangible commercial renovation results for an in-person work in the fall, you should have started yesterday,” said Corey Edwards, Infinity Group Director of Client Relations.

That doesn’t mean you should give up. Depending on the scope of your project, we could price and accelerate the work to fit your budget and schedule. Your best bet is to share your workspace renovation ideas with our expert team. It can help you take the next best step.

“And if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that clear direction and some reliable friends can keep our goals in reach,” said Laura Merrill, Infinity Group Director of Design