No more mingling as social distancing continues – how office culture will change as South Australians head back into work

SA businesses are preparing for many workers to head back to the office in the coming weeks ... but things will be very different. We explain what will change – and why bosses think the changes will be positive.

• Part 1: Changes for patrons in pubs, restaurants and cafes
• Part 2: How shopping will be different as stores reopen

Businesses around Adelaide are preparing for employees to return to their office workplaces but it is clear COVID-19 will have a long-lasting effect on how we work.

When you return, you may have your temperature checked upon entry to the office, and strict social-distancing rules will still be enforced inside.

The floorplan will most likely look a little different, with workers at least 1.5m away from each other and a limit on the number of people gathering in meeting rooms.

You may find chairs have been removed from some rooms and you’ll be required to clean your own workstation at the end of every day.

Work travel will be heavily restricted, if it isn’t stopped completely, and you could be asked to fill out contact-tracing forms.

The Advertiser spoke to several large companies around Adelaide about their office working arrangements in the foreseeable future.

SA-based industry super fund Statewide Super normally has 138 employees working in its headquarters in Victoria Square. But on March 23, nearly all of those workers began doing their jobs remotely.

Chief executive Tony D’Alessandro said 14 senior staff had continued working in the office but stringent measures were being put in place to bring back more workers over the coming months.

“In my whole 40 years in the financial services industry, I can tell you I have never experienced something like this,” he told The Advertiser.

Mr D’Alessandro said the office could start welcoming back workers with restrictions, but he expected working remotely to become more common after the coronavirus pandemic passes.

“What we’ve discovered in this little journey is that this may well be the new norm,” he said. “Working from home will occur more. Because we know how people behave, we know that they’ve got the capability at home and we can set them up at home.”

At the Statewide Super office, there are several measures that will remain in place for some time.

A maximum of three people are allowed in the kitchen at a time, and they must stand in a triangle formation.

“We’ll make sure in our kitchen we’ll have two to three tables so that you can’t have five or six people sitting around one table,” Mr D’Alessandro said.

Statewide Super employees are also expected to clean their own workstations at the end of each shift, with antibacterial wipes and maintain personal hygiene with hand sanitiser provided around the office.

“Yes, we’ve controlled the coronavirus but what a lot of people probably haven’t thought about is that we’ve controlled every virus,” Mr D’Alessandro said.

“So we like the idea of social distancing remaining.”

Large energy company Santos has had staff preparing its Flinders St office, and all Santos offices nationwide, for the company’s workforce to return.

Chief executive Kevin Gallagher told The Advertiser “most of our office-based people” have been working from home.

“We have been readying our offices to ensure they are in low-risk and controlled environments as staff return in a phased manner,” he said.

“This includes every person having their temperature taken on entry, completing a health self-assessment declaration form, practising strict social-distancing protocols and significantly increasing cleaning across the office.”

Desks have been reconfigured around the Santos office to ensure separation of at least 1.5m, while all non-essential travel has been cancelled.

“All personnel will be required to complete an induction to familiarise themselves with these new health and hygiene rules on returning to the office,” Mr Gallagher said.

Office workers around Australia are encouraged to continue working from home until July, when stage 3 of the Federal Government’s “COVIDSafe” plan comes into effect.

But the South Australian Government can make its own decision on when stage 3 rolls out locally.

READ MORE
All the changes coming to SA’s bars, restaurants and cafes
How the retail experience will change in shops and supermarkets