SOWGA Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Navigating the 'New Normal'
As a business, Sowga is aware of the implications and compromises the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon us all. Working from home became the new norm and contact with one another became prohibited. Then we were told to stay at home and only go out for essential things, such as food or walks. Here at Sowga, we all had to adapt to this new change and we did so a number of ways, each doing our part to help prevent the spread of this devastating virus.
From the beginning, in line with the government's guidelines and safety procedures, all office staff started working remotely from home, with very few allowed into the office, if they were required to do so for certain tasks or responsibilities. This saw our offices become vacant with as little as one person utilising it at a time. With a hybrid system put in place, this meant many internal & external communications and meetings that would have been face-to-face entered into the digital space through platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
On the other hand, all engineers available to work were still on their sites, maintaining or installing appliances, and considering everyone else was at home, this meant they weren't putting anyone in any danger. All buildings we maintained were kept running and maintained in a limited capacity with all compliance tasks completed (with some tasks such as the flushing of outlets even increasing), ensuring that when they opened up their doors and tenants began to return to work, the facilities managers we work with would be ready.
Preparing the offices to be as safe as possible for each employee, plastic barriers were installed in our head offices, separating personal workstations from one another, while also being able to see one another. As well as this, certain windows are to remain open during work hours, as to let in a flow of fresh air, sweeping out excess CO2 and viruses that may be trapped in the air.
When offices were allowed to reopen, this was met with some hurdles. For example, employees had to take regular lateral flow tests in order to know if they have contracted the virus or not, this was all tracked and measured by our QHSE Manager Kevin Spicer, who was regularly checking in with Government updates and industry news bulletins to keep the company and its staff informed. Through getting our limited visiting team members to complete these tests meant Sowga was able to keep on track of all its employee's wellness and prevent anyone, unaware of having the virus, from spreading it around. Therefore, our offices saw an increase in a general capacity, while some people still preferred to work from home.
With the vaccine rolling out and cases dropping by the end of summer and beginning of autumn, and the majority of staff have had their first and maybe second doses, this meant the lateral flow tests were not so needed. As a result of this, our workspaces saw capacity levels start to reach levels close to how they were prior to the pandemic.
As washing our hands and using hand sanitizer has always been important, it was made even more important during the past year and a half, as it is extremely effective at killing off bacteria and germs from your hands. As well as this, wiping down surfaces with anti-bacterial wipes is also a necessary practice as office workers use keyboards, mouses, and desks throughout a typical day, which are all breeding grounds for bacterias.
Though the cases are currently rising (as we are entering Winter), here at Sowga we have seen our offices start to fill up to full capacity with the addition of new people and the return of most back to the offices. This is not only seen for our company, but many others have recorded increased numbers of employees in their offices nationwide, so this is looking very hopeful for the return to normal.
With fresh research from professional coffee service Nespresso, revealing that office space is still valued highly among employees, seeing 39% agree that they chose their colleagues as what they like most about being in the office. This figure comes from a poll of around 1,750 office workers from across the UK, looking into how employees view their office environment and their emotions towards it.
On the other hand, in terms of face-to-face interactions and colleague relationships, 6 in 10 admitted this to be the best part about working in an office. Therefore, the return of staff to the office environment has seen a significant rise in positivity and general mood, as a result, increasing productivity and a sense of belonging, which may not be the case when working from home. So, allowing businesses to resume in offices as normal, has boosted morale, plus more employees are feeling safer due to COVID safety rules.
When it comes to working in the head office at SOWGA, it is a positive atmosphere full of motivated individuals who chat but manage their workload effectively. Whereas, if the office was running from home, these conversations may not flourish, plus a home space is meant for relaxation, so this may prevent proper focus on work matters. The beauty of an office is that it is a professional and formal environment that promotes work, while the home is where you unwind and relax after a day of work.
Overall, it is clear that the reopening of offices has resulted in more social interaction between employees, with an overall positive environment. Plus, with new staff joining our ranks and this ability for the company to grow, we are seeing new personalities add to our dynamic workforce, becoming a part of our community.