return to work(place) · an integrated view employee well-being organizational culture transforming...

Michael Dunford and Danielle Bowman April 2020

Return to Work(place):Supporting Well-Being, Preserving Culture, and Transforming the Floorplate in a New Normal

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People will return with the weight of the crisis and may be anxious about using their workspace. Employees need to feel secure about maintaining their well-being.

• Physical distancing norms

• Elevated health and safety concerns

• Finding balance for creating personal interactionand virtual collaboration

• Short- and long-term workplace changes toimplement—from facility needs to work rotationand sequenced return

• Keeping people safe, confident, and effective

Our New Normal

Return to Work(place)

Return to Work(place) 3

Organic Workspace

Our perspective and process for understanding the work environment and how people use it.

Organic Workspace will help you with:

• Global knowledge

• Unique design point of view

• Product and space expertise

• Best practices

• Balance the needs of your peopleand space as we navigate returnto the workplace

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What are we (and everyone else) saying?


Reduce the density of your space to lower health risks

• Manage safe density overall and for meeting/social spaces

• Reconsider the density of benching by lowering to 50%

• Be conscious of health concerns around shared spaces

• Add to unassigned seating to let employees establish boundaries

• Consider going to a four-day workweek and staggering teams

• Increased remote work capabilities

Cleaning

• Budget for cleaning services required to handle a higher level

• Keep the indoor air clean by adjusting your HVAC

• Extend the use of outdoor workspaces (multi-season) as

reasonable

• Introduce plants for an inexpensive way to clean the air

• Implement a system such as signage to indicate when a surface

is clean

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What are we (and everyone else) saying?


Minimize risk of touching

• Install touch-free technology (motion/light-sensing) to open doors.

• Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.

• Prop open doors and close non-essential amenities to reduce touch

Legible buildings are shown to reduce stress

• Nudge people toward healthy behaviors

• Helps inform how spaces within the facility should be used

• Consider using sensor occupancy technology showing density/usage

• Consider signage to remind healthy habits like handwashing

• Interior "landmarks" to help people orient themselves or follow pathways

What are industry leaders saying? CBRE

What are industry leaders saying? Cushman & Wakefield


An Integrated View

Floorplate to Workpoint

Approach to enable change

Physical vs. virtual interaction

Holistic considerations

Remote Work

Ratio of individuals (virtual vs. physical)

Assess workspace for needs/changes

Balance interaction (virtual vs. physical)

Haworth Expertise

Employee Well-Being

Organizational Culture

Transforming the Floorplate

Transforming the Floorplate Your Unique SolutionOrganizational CultureEmployee Well-BeingAn Integrated View


Haworth Expertise

Integrated Palette™

A family of adaptable product platforms

developed from our insights on human,

organizational, and facility performance.

Affordances

Elements of a space that encourage certain

behaviors, enabling optimal human performance—

cognitively, emotionally, and physically.

Competing Values Framework

A culture model developed from the major

indicators of effective organizations that defines

four culture types.

Three critical areas of focus to help you navigate return to the workplace in a COVID-19 environment

Employee Well-BeingSupporting people’s physical and

psychological health to build confidence and

enhance performance

Organizational CultureUnderstanding and preserving your culture to

empower your workforce and leverage your

space in new ways

Transforming the FloorplateAddressing facility requirements, density, and

exposure while mitigating risk



Floorplate to Workpoint

Understand the work being done, your current workspace utilization, and how it will change in the new normal.

• Consider lobby/entry point, facilityflow, and circulation areas

• Determine where interaction andcollaboration take place

• Add employee options for moremobility and flexibility to leave denseareas

• Repurpose some collaboration areasto individual work areas to addressdensity

Employee well-being

Continue providing views of

nature and access to daylight

to reduce stress.

Organizational culture

Utilize open collaboration areas

to support visual connection

while social distancing.

Transforming the floorplate

Convert unassigned spaces to

assigned spaces to address

density challenges.



Remote Work

Guidelines should balance personal interaction and collaboration—both virtually and physically.

• Identify total occupancy by floorplate

• Define the quantity of positions needed on site

• Determine which roles are optimal for remote work

• Assess your floorplate density level to meet physical distancing guidelines

• Determine the ratio of individual workpoints and the maximum space occupancy

• If space doesn’t allow, determine sequencing and work rotation for remote workers


Human | Well-Being

Affordances Framework

Confident Employees

• Floorplate

• Workpoint


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Affordances Framework

The elements in the workspace that influence the physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of people.

• Consider what Affordances relieve stress, providesecurity, and improve performance

• Evaluate the Affordances needed for each work team

• Determine how this will be supported in the new layoutwhen adjusting the workspace for physical distancing

Example



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Confident Employees - Floorplate

Example: Well-Being (Inspiration, Recovery)

Personal control and safety need additional emphasis and will be defined in different ways in new normal.

Consider leveraging spaces that:

• Provide access to daylight

• Support mobility and access to retreat spaces

• Provide access to outdoor working spaces



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Confident Employees - Workpoint

Example: Insulation (Focus, Comfort)

The ability to focus will be affected by stress levels due to technology, distractions, extra noise

Vertical space division utilizing:

• Panels

• Screens

• Storage

Consider Orientation

6 Foot Distancing



Organizational | Culture

Why Workspace Culture Matters


Make Changes with Care



Values

• An organization’s mission & how it represents itself

Assumptions

• The attitudes formed through company processes andactions that inform what employees think

Artifacts

• What a company represents in the form of products,services, processes, publications, dress code, location, andtheir work environment

Why Workplace Culture Matters


Culture (the way your organization works, communicates, innovates) is as important as business strategy. Aligning your approach to the new way of working with your cultural norms will:

Confidence Connect your people

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4 Tips:

Communication Program Reinforce Culture and Values

Group Work Technologies

Example

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4Employee Mobility


http://blog.haworth.com/content/spark/en/articles/2018/key-factors-to-supporting-workplace-change.html

http://blog.haworth.com/content/spark/en/articles/2018/3-things-leaders-should-know-about-culture.html

http://blog.haworth.com/content/spark/en/articles/2019/the-future-of-collaboration.html


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Make Change with Care

Preserving your unique culture will:

• Empower your workforce

• Leverage your space

• Serves as a guidepost for people’s needs and goals

• Leverage your space more efficiently based on your culture in the COVID-19 environment



Transforming the Floorplate

Comprehensive Solution

Design Implications

Product Applications


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Comprehensive Solution

Integrated Palette™ is a family of adaptable product platforms developed from our insights on human, organizational, and facility performance

• Spans architectural – work systems – freestanding products (from floorplate to the workpoint)

• Integration logic easily adjust and reconfigure workpoint applications quickly and cost-effectively (short-term or long-term)

• Allows for modularity, materiality, and finish compatibility to build on existing solutions to address changing business concerns

Example



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Design Implications

Care and Maintenance

Covid-19 Disinfection Instructions

Bleach Cleanable Textiles

Cleaning and Disinfection Infographic

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Remote Work

Determine which roles are optimal to perform remote work & how it will this effect the floorplate

Cleanliness

Communicate guidelines for cleaning and use of spaces

Safety

Convey new protocols in lobbies, receptions areas, security checkpoint, etc.

Density

Analyze facility circulation to achieve appropriate distancing

Interaction/CollaborationProvide physical and virtual solutions for personal interaction and team collaboration

User Control

Provide individuals a variety of spaces to safely accomplish their work

Technology

Publish supported platforms for communicating internally and externally


https://library.haworth.com/bin/haworth/downloadasset?path=/content/dam/digital/north-american-assets/technical-documents/installation-instructions/furniture/Care%20and%20Maintenance%20Standards.pdf

https://library.haworth.com/bin/haworth/downloadasset?path=/content/dam/digital/north-american-assets/corporate-tools/COVID-19%20Product%20cleaning%20guidelines.pdf

https://library.haworth.com/bin/haworth/downloadasset?path=/content/dam/digital/north-american-assets/technical-documents/Bleach-Cleanable-Textiles_Matrix_P2%20(1).pdf

https://library.haworth.com/bin/haworth/downloadasset?path=/content/dam/digital/north-american-assets/corporate-tools/Cleaning%20and%20Disinfecting%20Infographic%20Guide.pdf


Before

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Product Applications

Planning

• Address density (6’ physical distancing), collaboration, user control, etc.

• Remove, reconfigure and/or retrofit products

Specification

• Provide material options, other surface treatments for cleaning and disinfection, touchless controls, etc.

• Integrate features to signal occupied workstations and when last cleaned

• Change workpoints to increase individual comfort and security level without losing the elements required to be effective

Application Thought Starters

After

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C19 Design ConsiderationsPlanning, Product, Application, and Specification


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Product Applications: Cleanability


• Healthcare material and finish integration


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Product Applications: Retrofittable Screens


• Minimal Disruption

• Lightweight, freestanding

• Raise/lower with surface


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Product Applications: Expanded Desk Geometry



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Product Applications: Surface Treatment


• Increased level of fabric protection

• Improved cleanability

• Repels stains/liquids

• Moisture resistant, moisture barrier,

and antimicrobial


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Product Applications: Moveable Screens


• Define space

• Create separation

• Facilitates easy cleanability

• Semi-permanent

• Potential to enhance acoustic performance


Your Unique Solution

Finding Balance

Team of Experts

Ways to Engage - Contact


Listen Interpret

Visualize Solve

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Finding Balance

Let’s have a discussion. What you are biggest concerns about returning the workplace? How will it affect your people? Your organization? What plans doyou have already to address the changes?

Conceptualize your Return the Work(place) solution. Tools include: your existing floorplan, our visualization tools, ideasstarters and product information.

Leveraging our dealer network, facility management knowledge, and workplace strategy research, we can share insights that will balance the needs of your peopleand space as you return to the workplace.

A finalized a plan that’s right for your culture, ensures people are performing their best, and leverages existing productso you can reconfigure.



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The Global Workplace Ideation, Global Research, and Co-create teams have developed strategies to help transform your work areas.

Our resources will help you with employee well-being, culture preservation, and floorplate transformation in changing times.

Team of Experts



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Ways to Engage - Contact

Contact: [email protected] m: 206.612.7844

Contact: [email protected] m: 206.550.2190

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Arrange a listening session. We’ll then share what we've been learning about workplace issues, best practices and how work in this new era will affect the way you implement and manage your workplace.

Haworth and dealer team will walk you through short-term options and long-term solutions in development.

Arrange for a Client Consult Session with one or several of our knowledge experts (Global Workplace Research, Ideation, Co-create team).


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Michael Dunford and Danielle Bowman April 2020

Thank you!

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Workstation |Example Return to Affordances

Before AfterHorizontal SeparationEmotional Well-being | Security

• Add Glass End Screens to height

adjustable tables

• Change storage spacing on center

bank to spread out the meeting space

CleanabilityPhysical Ambient |Air Quality

• Hard surface screen

• Faux leather seating

Laminate surfaces

• Metal surfaces

• Omit Blotters

• Change Slat to laminate tile

• Changed J-pulls to avoid open

channel on storage fronts

Vertical Space DivisionCognitive Insulation | Stimulus Control

16" Frameless Glass for safety and

light transmission

OrientationPhysical Movement | Interaction

Change Side-by-Side station

to Back-to-Back


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Workstation |Example Return to Affordances

Before AfterHorizontal SeparationEmotional Well-being | Security

• Separate benching units 72"

apart

• Gallery Screen

• 3-pc. Corner Screen attached

to height adjustable surface

• Pantry Storage

• Trivati Glass Wall

CleanabilityPhysical Ambient |Air Quality

• Laminate Corner screens

• Faux Leather Upholstery

• Upholstered Back Task Chair

• Polymer surfaces

• Laminate surfaces

• Metal surfaces

• Limit accessories

Vertical Space DivisionCognitive Insulation | Stimulus Control

• 3-piece Corner Screens

• Gallery End Screens

• Locker & Pantry Storage

• Trivati Glass Wall

Density• No Change in number of workstations

• Spatial increase for circulation

OrientationPhysical Movement | Interaction

Move lounge area away from

workspace

MobilityPhysical Movement | Interaction

• Closed storage to secure property

• Glass wall used to divide public

space from workspaces


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Conference | Example

Horizontal Separation6’ spacing

CleanabilityFaux Leather Seating

Laminate surfaces

Metal supports

Vertical Space DivisionRemove Door

MobilityClosed storage to secure items

Tables are easy to move

DensityDecrease from 8 to 4

OrientationNo change

Compete Culture:Will adapt fast in new world of work

• Action oriented spaces

• Quick to embrace new technologies

• Need quick face-to-face or virtual interactions

• Will balance physical and remote work

Return to Competing Values

Before After

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Department | Example

Create Culture:Potential Positive Effects

• Decreasing eye contact may improve focused attention

• Decreased eye contact may encourage walking to interact with

a co-worker

• Increasing vertical surface area provides increased space for Embedding

and Externalizing

• Spatial interventions may increase workers’ sense of physical security

and safety

Potential Negative Effects

• Physical assets are often a part of these cultures making remote working

more challenging

• The fast pace of these cultures causes frequent interactions which may

be reduced by ‘distancing’

• Alternatives to whiteboards may need to be sought out such as flip charts

• Additional individual workstations may need to replace communal areas

to increase ‘distancing while limiting remote work if possible

Return to Competing Values

Before After


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Floorplate | Example

• Consider lobby/entry point, facility flow and circulation areas

• Add options for more mobility and flexibility to leave dense areas

• Repurpose collaboration areas for individual work - address density

• Communicate circulation path to limit employee overlap

• Convert unassigned to assigned spaces to address density

challenges

• Remove chairs to help with legibility of physical distance guidelines

• Rearrange large meeting/training spaces to accommodate

individual work or small group meetings

Return to Comprehensive Solution

Before After


Return to Competing ValuesEmployee Mobility Products

42Return to Work(place)

return to work(place) · an integrated view employee well-being organizational culture transforming...

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