(re)open: Frequently asked questions

• Good operating procedures in accordance with ASHRAE standards and other global standards should be followed to provide acceptable IAQ. Maintenance of OA dampers and filter changes should be performed on a regular basis to ensure adequate fresh air. If operating procedures do not meet minimum standards, they should be improved to meet ASHRAE 62.1.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• According to a Harvard study, Dr. Joseph Allen, an assistant professor and researcher proved that the air employees in the office breathe has a deep and profound impact on their ability to work well. The study was conducted by the Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment, and it made headlines when researchers found that higher levels of CO2 and VOCs* in the air led to lower cognitive scores. Start by circulating more fresh air and measuring CO2 levels to see how stale the air is to promote a healthy and happy workplace.
• For IAQ regulations refer to ASHRAE 62.1 and 62.2 Ventilation, World Health Org IAQ or U.S. EPA IAQ standards. For EU countries, some legislation has introduced rules relating to indoor air quality.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• Supplying clean air to susceptible occupants
• Containing contaminated air and/ or exhaust it to the outdoors
• Diluting the air in the space with clean and filtered outdoor air
• Cleaning the air within a room

We recommend the Consideration of improving the automation system controls using the building ventilation system. This may include some or all the following activities:

• Increasing ventilation rates
• Increasing the percentage of outdoor air that circulates into the system
• Following appropriate filter change protocols

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• Yes, you should establish enhanced cleaning protocols for your space with increased scope and frequency. Focus on high-traffic areas and high-touch common areas.
• This is a good time to review your cleaning standards and implement practices that meet your goals and budgets.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• It’s a best practice as recognized by the CDC to eliminate shared items that touch hands and faces.  If you use laptops only, that eliminates the need for keyboards. Headsets and cell phones can be assigned personally, with shared phones removed.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• Signage should be displayed showcasing cleaning measures being taken as well as instructing healthy behaviors. Ambassadors can be used to promote the right behaviors and routines by employees and vendors.
• These measures can also be communicated regularly to employees through email or on team calls.
• Welcome back emails should indicate that there’s been a pre-occupancy cleaning, let employees know ahead of time what additional cleaning will be taking place.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• Post signage in bathrooms, elevators, hallways, commons spaces etc.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• We recommend taking extra safety precautions when welcoming employees and visitors to your sites. There are numerous processes, tools and technologies that can be leveraged to screen visitors and employees, which can be evaluated and selected based on the best fit for your organization, budget, space etc.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• It is likely that temperature screening will be a reality for the foreseeable future. Until there is a vaccine widely available, we must rely on other methods for ensuring health and safety are a priority.
• While temperature screening is a hot topic, it’s only a snapshot in time as to who might be exhibiting symptoms that moment. Health screening should also be considered as this is a more comprehensive view of whether or not the person has exhibited any of the adverse health conditions within the prior 14 days or currently. Note that asymptomatic people can pass both the health and temperature screens.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• You can help people feel safer by implementing policies and processes to minimize the spread of the virus, in conjunction with effectively communicating what those actions are that are being implemented. Posters, workstation signs, emails, etc. all help drive the communication. Also, ensure the planned actions are actually being completed. Ensure the cleaning teams are performing the scope of work that both parties understand to be required or requested.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• Protocols around enhanced cleaning and personal responsibilities should be emphasized. Personal responsibilities may include: clean desk policy, stay home if ill, leave immediately if feeling unwell, conducting personal health screens prior to leaving home for the office, frequent handwashing, maintaining 6-ft distance from others, covering nose and mouth with cloth face covering, personal workstation disinfection with wipes upon leaving.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• You need to consider health, safety and the risk of exposure from the time the employee leaves their home to the time the employee sits at their desk. In addition, you need to consider movement within the workplace throughout the day.
  • Employee commute: Do they drive? Do they take public transportation? Do they walk? Do they rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.)? Those who take public transportation or rideshare are likely more at risk to being exposed.
  • Point of arrival: Do employees arrive at the workplace via a parking deck/lot? Do they arrive via an elevator from a common lobby? The point of arrival should consider social distancing guidelines, i.e. one person in the elevator at a time.
  • In the office/workplace: Where are the bottlenecks or areas of congestion where people gather as they move throughout the workplace? Examples include stairwells, parking decks, elevator lobbies, restrooms, support spaces, photocopy areas, coffee bars/areas, etc. Social distancing protocols should be applied to these areas. As for static activities, desks should be appropriately distanced (i.e. marked “un-occupiable”).

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• You should use lessons learned from the current situation and develop policies and guidelines to enhance and improve business continuity plans for a potential second wave. Continue to heed government guidelines.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• In most cases, JLL clients are letting employees decide if they want to go to the office. If employees choose to do so, they are advised to select the mode of transportation in which they feel safest.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• The method to ensure that employees are complying with social distancing in the office varies by organization and by country given different privacy laws. Some clients are putting the onus to comply with guidelines on each individual; others are using technology to measure and monitor utilization to ensure compliance with social distancing guidelines.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• The “workplace of the future” will undoubtedly be reshaped as a result of the mass experiment we have been part of which has proven that those organizations with progressive workstyles can continue to function without the presence of a physical office space.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• Absolutely – it can be maintained, and clients with progressive workstyles have proven this prior to the pandemic.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• The appearance of the re-entry workspace will reflect an effort around reducing human interaction and diminishing the potential for the spread of germs. To reduce human interactions, there will be fewer people in the workplace. Those who are present will remain separate by working in enclosed rooms or at a distance from each other in open office space. There are furniture solutions to reduce human interactions; from the addition of panels to existing workspaces, to the use of white boards or even planters to encourage people to keep their distance. Adding panels that serve as a “threshold” to a workstation results in natural distancing behaviors. To facilitate a smooth entry, employers must be prepared to meet people “where they are”. Many employees will have anxiety upon the return to the workplace, whereas others will be enthusiastic about it. Creating a welcoming environment that feels/ is safe may prompt employers to make changes to seating arrangements, reduce headcount in conference rooms, engage daytime cleaning of high-touch items like door knobs, chair arms and tabletops, and provide cleaning supplies for employees who feel empowered when they are able to clean surfaces themselves.

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions? 

• The furniture size/type and configuration is a significant consideration with open plan office space, as are circulation paths. It is key to view open plans with an eye toward whether employees are physically 6 feet apart, but also facing away from each other. Excluding workstations from use or installing supplemental panels help with this focus. For the very best and thorough cleaning of work surfaces, personal effects should be removed as much as possible. Unassigned workspace should not be shared between employees unless there is a cleaning process between users. Each conference room in the workplace should have a new, posted maximum occupancy that is not higher than one occupant per two chairs. Employees should be encouraged to develop behaviors of wiping down chair arms and tabletops before use of a conference room begins, and after it ends. One intriguing idea is to remove chairs altogether from conference rooms. This makes people less likely to transmit germs, allows for slightly greater occupancy and keeps meetings brief!

Download our guide to obtain the complete FAQ Guide with answers to over 75 (re)open questions?