It’s been over a year since COVID-19 delivered a collective punch to the world. As a result, workers retreated to home offices that featured kitchen tables, cameo appearances by pets and children, and the constant questioning of when things will get back to normal. With vaccinations becoming widely available and states beginning to lift mandates, the world is ready to safely open back up – but is your office?

According to McKinsey 80% of executives surveyed expect their workforce to be back on-site by September and 88% to be back by the end of the year. As doors reopen and desks once again become places of bustling collaboration, the CDC recommends that companies remain vigilant by limiting direct and indirect person to person contact, identifying and isolating potentially infectious people, increasing hygiene protocols, and using personal protective equipment.

Here at Northland, the health and safety of our people have always been our utmost priority. While we enacted a remote workforce for much of last year, our offices are beginning to open back up to employees around the world and we are happily welcoming back familiar faces. However, to keep our employees safe and healthy, we are leveraging our own access control system to limit office occupancy at any given time and encourage socially distanced interactions.

The number one measure we have put in place is SignUp Genus signup sheets for each of our US and UK based offices. Before re-familiarizing themselves with their morning commute, employees are required to reserve their “spot” within the office. That list then gets synced with our access control system, giving the designated employees access to the office for that day. Currently, our offices are limited to 25% occupancy to allow for distanced working.

There are many security technologies that can help with the safe re-opening of your office. Check out additional resources on thermal imaging, Detrios’ Facilities Access Screening Tool (FAST), and using CCure 900 filters to restrict building access.