Employees starting the slow move back to the office, following a call to business as usual, can expect changes in workplace practices as companies build on the pandemic’s work-from-home experience and continue to implement health measures.

Whether introducing interim procedures – such as staggering entry and dividing the workforce for safety reasons, exempting vulnerable employees and making allowances for mothers with kids at home – or not yet considering a return, a ‘new reality’, both physical and psychological, awaits.

This includes closed canteens, disabled meeting rooms, bare kitchens, partitions and other means to facili­tate social distancing, while the idea is to keep the numbers low – at least for the foreseeable future.

The last months have been “cataclysmic” to the workplace and workforce, according to HR consultant Mikela Fenech Pace, who maintains that the pandemic will have a long-term effect on the workplace. The challenges have shifted mindsets and change is inevitable.

“It is an exciting time for workplaces, which have already shown agility. The question now is to what extent businesses can retain what they have learnt to reimagine the workplace.”

Since last Friday, employers have been able to call in their staff, and more restrictions have been lifted. But even though preparations have been under way, it is still early to talk about significant changes in office life post-COVID-19 and a sense of uncertainty and fear of the un­known still lingers.

“The idea of psychological safety has never been more evi­dent,” Fenech Pace continues. “Yesterday’s workplace promoted more contact, whereas today, we are promoting distance and online meetings.”

While few businesses trust­ed the concept of flexibility and working from home, this has now shifted quite substantially, she believes.

“Communication has improv­ed as face-to-face interaction is no longer taken for granted. In many ways, balance has been brought into the debate.”

The idea of psychological safety has never been more evident

Fenech Pace says it will be interesting to see how much senior leaders adopt home working as a permanent modus operandi – “it would be a pity if not”.

Issues that involved working parents, the vulnerable and health and safety, which have been around forever, have taken centre stage with COVID-19.

“A few months ago, kids disturbing online meetings would solicit frowns. Today, people are more tolerant to distractions, while our levels of empathy towards the vulnerable have increased.

“How much these extraordinary developments forced on the workplace are adopted will depend on the foresight of business leaders,” she concludes.

What companies are doing

Although accounting firm RSM Malta never entirely closed its Żebbuġ office during the pan­demic, the return of its 200 employees will see the introduction of a weekly roster from June 15, with no more than 50 per cent of workers in each department “just in case something goes wrong”.

With two-metre social distancing required, more than half the mostly open-plan office space has been disabled, with desks and chairs physically blocked off to resist the instinct to move around and start spreading papers.

Employees occupy – and clean – the same chair and desk, which will have their name tag, for the entire week. And over the weekend, these are sanitised and marked with a red tag, ready for the next person, says RSM Malta partner George Gregory, part of a COVID-19 task force the company set up to tackle changes in work practices.

Meetings rooms on each floor have also been disabled and allocated to those who may need to go to the office out of roster, while the kitchenettes are ‘bare’ at RSM, with only one person allowed to enter them at a time. All cutlery has been removed, and staff are obliged to bring, clean and store their own.

“We have gone full circle, with an eco-friendly shift away from the use of disposable cups being reversed and the glassware with engraved names we gave each staff member now being removed from the kitchens.”

And the canteen is closed in another U-turn for the firm that had forbidden eating at desks.

Whether these new mea­sures will be upheld is a question of education, says Gregory. As to how long they would remain in place, the company will be following public health directives even though not mandatory.

Meanwhile, these measures are needed even for the sake of those who are highly uncomfortable with the corona­virus situation. “Out of res­pect, we do not want them to be in the awkward position of having to tell their colleagues to move away.”

Teleworking during the outbreak has been successful, but it is still early days to assess its full effects. However, the company is likely to see its prolifera­tion in the future.

“We have already offered flexible measures, but are now actively looking at work-from-home policies.”

At Alf Mizzi and Sons, Pers­pex is being installed, and masks, supplied to all employees, are mandatory in common areas. Temperature is being taken at the door, with contact tracing for all those on sick leave.

The company is still on A and B teams, and even toilets have been split, while those who can work from home are still at home.

Public health guidelines have been adapted beyond the office at eCabs, including vehicle sanitisation, and the taxi company has gone the extra mile to implement additional changes for the peace of mind of passengers.

What were standard customer care practices, such as luggage handling and door courtesy, have now been turned upside down, says its chief human resources officer, Marvin Cuschieri.

“It is a challenge to handle the current situation, but with flexibility from both ends and some thinking outside the box, we are managing.

“We are strong believers in remote work, and the pandemic has pushed the trend further. Gone are the days where the office is viewed as the only place to work and meet. Nonetheless, I believe physical interaction is still important.

“While COVID has brought changes, the office and traditional way of working will not vanish; rather they will be moulded into these new realities.”