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While many employees have worked from home since March, companies are now planning or are amid their return-to-office strategies. Although we may be returning to the office, the pandemic has changed the way we work forever. The current affairs have also provided an opportunity to redesign and reimagine your office space with an Activity-Based Working strategy while still prioritising employee health and safety.

The journey towards activity-based working

Activity-Based Working (ABW) has been around since the 1980s but grew in popularity during the 1990s as more companies implemented activity-based working throughout their offices. And although at first glance it may appear that the pandemic may have halted the trajectory of ABW, it really couldn’t be further from the truth.

ABW is a style of workplace design that enables employees to choose the best environment to suit their individual working style. So rather than sitting day-in, day-out at an office desk, the employee can change it up depending on what task they’re doing – whether that’s collaborating with others in a brainstorming space or working from home for deep work.

ABW is commonly confused with hot-desking, which removes allocated seating to inspire mobility and maximise office space. But it’s more than that. ABW is about supporting employees while they’re in (and out of) the office, so they perform at their best every day.

How the pandemic has changed the requirements of the office

COVID-19 has been a catalyst for many organisations to rethink how ‘work’ gets done. And it has started many on a path to trusting and empowering their employees to work where and even when they work best.

Given one of the critical tenets of Activity-Based Working is the empowerment of the employee, it’s clear ABW is an excellent match for the future workspace. Naturally, challenges to working in a shared space in the pandemic-era have arisen. Let’s explore their solutions.

Physical distancing

Keeping 1.5 metres apart in a shared workspace is a challenge all companies face as they have employees return to the office. An ABW design has the flexibility to accommodate distancing requirements physically in the office as well as by empowering employees to work remotely when needed. Consider capacity based on physical distancing guidelines and plan ahead for those coming into the office – A/B shifts or flexible working hours can help.

High contact areas

In any office, whether ABW or not, there are high contact areas like light switches and elevator buttons which need to be considered. In the first instance, a frequent and thorough cleaning schedule for these areas will need to be implemented. In the longer term, consider touchless technology or automation to avoid contact altogether. Shared spaces like kitchens, bathrooms and thoroughfares also need to be considered. Wayfinding and physical distancing signage can be helpful to keep employees moving in the right direction and maintaining a proper distance from one another.

Provide employees with their own equipment like keyboards or headsets, so they are not shared between coworkers. Also, ensure cleaning and disinfecting supplies are readily available for employees to use as required between scheduled cleaning. Additionally, make sure there is enough time between workspace handover to allow for cleaning and disinfecting to take place.

Technology solutions

Besides the physical workplace, employees also need an efficient digital working environment, affording instant access to all important information, anywhere and at any time. As well as the technology tools to efficiently collaborate with colleagues, wherever they may be. Technology solutions we are keeping a close eye on are:

• Space utilisation software: Used to optimise how people interact with their flexible work environment.
• Environmental health and comfort: Sensors used to monitor things like temperature, humidity and air quality for a comfortable and safe working environment.
• Personal wayfinding: Occupancy sensors used to gather data and create interactive floor plans on kiosks or mobile apps.

Thanks to its nature of flexibility, with the right planning, ABW means your employees will return to a responsive, adaptive, modern office which they are confident will keep them safe and well.

Wondering how else COVID-19 has changed the future of work? This is one of the topics we explore in A progressive leader’s guide to the Future of Work in Australia.

While new to many organisations, remote working is likely to be here for some time – and managing remote teams with it. However, remote work has actually long been active in several industries and organisations. It was estimated that in 2019, 68 percent of Australian companies were offering some kind of remote work arrangement.

This isn’t surprising, as there are many known benefits of working from home, both for the individual as well as the company.

For the individual, often it means operating on your own schedule. Working during off-hours – either early in the morning or late into the night – is often highly productive thanks to reduced interruptions from colleagues. The research supports this, with 77 percent of remote workers saying they are more productive working remotely than in an office – a clear benefit also for the organisation.

Avoiding the commute is another major benefit of remote work for many employees. Just last year, it was estimated that the average Australian commute is now 66 minutes per day. This is time that remote workers can instead invest in personal health and relationships instead.

Concerned with the bias that can exist in some reports, Forbes recently curated research from Gallup, Harvard University, Global Workplace Analytics, and Stanford University. Forbes found that teleworkers are 35–40 percent more productive than office counterparts, and remote work autonomy promotes higher quality results, with a 40 percent reduction in quality defects. Organisations also save an average of $100,000 per year per part-time telecommuter.

However, working from home also comes with its challenges. 19 percent of employees who work remotely cite loneliness as one of their biggest challenges. Additionally, physical challenges can arise when employees find themselves working at a too-high kitchen table, or in an awkward chair, working with insufficient light, or without decent acoustics for calls – all of which can lead to injuries over time. These create risks for both individuals and employers.

One thing that has become crystal clear during the pandemic, is that employees working from home need tangible physical, technological and emotional support from employers in order to remain engaged, productive and healthy.

Emotional wellbeing

Looking after employees’ wellbeing is similar to looking after your own. Ensuring there is balance in the employees’ lives, and work does not take over everything is essential. Promoting healthy physical behaviours, including exercise and healthy eating, can be done via office perks and subscriptions just as easily at home as a fruit bowl and running club can in the office. Similarly, relevant, constructive rewards and recognition can motivate employees to progress towards their goals.

Strong communication, setting clear expectations, holding regular video conferences and team huddles for formal work interactions help ensure your remote workers understand exactly what is expected. A structured work week is also essential for teams to stay connected, deliver progress updates and also for a sense of mental wellbeing. Letting work filter into homelife and homelife filter into work can both be counterproductive. Virtual lunches and online drinks can also help to ensure individuals feel less isolated and more connected to their team, even while working remotely.

Effective technology

Technologies that support collaboration, communication and transparency between team members are making work from home environments much more productive and comfortable than ever before. Zoom has recently become a verb, and while Slack used to be code for ‘cool tech company’, it is now code for ‘frequently-communicating team’. Enterprise tools such as Microsoft Teams are getting a strong workout daily. Meanwhile, ensuring there is a centralised document platform where employees can access files, such as the G-Suite or any Enterprise Content Management System has become essential to supporting productivity.

Physical Wellbeing

Many employees relocated to their home workspace in March 2020 with nothing more than their laptops. Slated initially as a temporary measure, two weeks have turned into six, and social distancing is to stay for some time yet. This could mean that employees who are working at home now are at risk of injury and strains if they’re not properly set up.

An ergonomic home office set-up is a relatively small investment that can have huge rewards – not least of which is a 25 percent uplift in productivity. Naturally, an ergonomic workspace will also decrease the risk of compensation claims and demonstrate to your employees that you’re taking good care of them.

If setting up ergonomic home offices for your employees is something you’re not sure about, get an expert involved early in your planning and get your business ahead of the competitive curve.

Axiom Workplaces applies principles of ergonomic office design to remote working. We help organisations achieve maximum wellness, engagement and productivity for remote teams. Take a look at our work-from-home solutions.