Millions of Americans are now starting to think about going back to work, but it won’t be the same experience as before. Not only will workspaces look different, but many building managers and companies will have put in place technologies to detect sick people, enforce social distancing, and reduce the need to touch surfaces.
Much of this technology has been around long before COVID-19, but its adoption will accelerate as health and safety become primary business concerns. Unfortunately, privacy violations might come with it, too. Here’s a breakdown of the technology that employers may roll out to keep you healthy when you return to your office.
ON YOUR FIRST DAY BACK
It’s early Monday morning on the day that your office finally reopens, but you’re not sure if you will work from home or go in yet. You open up your company’s workplace app, which provides a sort of hub where you can find information and access work resources.
You might notice that your company now wants you to report your whereabouts. The app may prompt you to indicate if you’re working remotely, and it may ask you to opt into having your location logged automatically when you enter the office and connect to Wi-Fi. Some companies might require employees to log in before they can use meeting rooms.
That’s partly to keep business running smoothly when many workers are no longer in the office on a given day. But many companies will also become keenly aware of how much office space they’re actually using, and how much they really need. In addition, they may use the app as a means of contact tracing. If you get sick, or you’re exposed to someone in the office who tests positive, suddenly your location becomes a prime concern. You may be asked to self-quarantine. There may also be liability issues for the company if you got sick on the job. (In most states, however, an employee would have to prove they caught the virus at work to collect damages.)
Some companies may put their employees on staggered office schedules to prevent overcrowding. Others will leave it up to employees to come into the office or not, provided they indicate where they’re working. (Madrona Venture Group compiled a useful tool kit, including a series of videos for companies reopening offices.)
Your workplace app tells you the office is expected to be less than half full today. When you return to work, you may no longer have a permanent desk. Many more employees will likely use hotel desks. An integration with workspace reservation platforms like AgilQuest or Condeco might allow the app to help you book a temporary desk at the office for the day. You might be concerned about the cleanliness of the workspace, so you check the app to see when the cleaning crew last disinfected it. The cleaning crew might use a phone to scan a QR code posted at the workspace to tell the workplace management system the space is clean.