After over 100 days in lockdown, we are starting to poke our heads out and imagine what life might be like once we’ve made it out of lockdown completely. Whilst we might not know what working life will look like on the other side of the pandemic, it will definitely be different to what we’re used to!
FSB Wales conducted a survey at the end of April this year, with the results showing that lockdown has led to many businesses dramatically changing the way they work, often utilising technology that they’d never used before. 22% had moved to home and remote working by the middle of lockdown, with 20% using meeting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams to support this.
Companies have also reported changes to the way they operate and interact with customers: 11% made physical changes to their premises to follow new social distancing rules, whilst 17.5% have moved online for the first time to offer products or services.
As the government has begun to lift lockdown measures, life will begin to find a new rhythm and ‘normality’.
To Mask or Not to Mask?
It will be compulsory to wear a face covering on public transport in Wales. Although, it is not yet clear whether it will soon also be compulsory to wear a face covering inside shops and other public areas as in other parts of the UK.
The evidence we have at the moment is that the most effective way to protect yourself and others, is to follow social distancing regulation, avoiding touching surfaces and then your face and regularly washing your hands for 20-30 seconds. Whilst face coverings are not a substitute for these measures, they are an additional precaution where it might be difficult to comply with social distancing and staying two metres apart. They have been recommended by the Government and the World Health Organisation.
We’re all adjusting to this new way of life and looking for a sense of ‘normality’, both personally and professionally, and whilst none of us can predict what life will look like in another 100 days, it’s clear that office life will never be the same again!
New Health & Safety Guidelines at The Business Centre (Cardiff)
Like many other businesses in the Vale, here at The Business Centre (Cardiff) Ltd, we have been busy creating a thorough plan to ensure that the building is compliant with the government’s new guidelines, ensuring a safe and secure workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak. Our staff and customer’s safety and wellbeing are at the top of our priority list and we want to ensure that it is safe for everyone to return to work.
If you have any questions about any of the new guidelines, please don’t hesitate to contact our Centre Manager, Emma Mason: [email protected].
If you’re trying to get back to running your business but you’re not yet ready to return to an office environment, why not take a look at our Virtual Office packages? A virtual office has all the benefits of a serviced office such as a call answering service, mail and parcel reception, mail forwarding as well as a business address and access to a wide range of business support services.
Email our team to find out more at: [email protected].