The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6BB.
People and Property in a Post Pandemic World
The pandemic has changed much about the way we work and as the focus begins to shift to a return to offices, it is time for a radical rethink on what the future of work could look like. Last year saw offices closed and attitudes to remote working changed and as lockdown restrictions ease many organisations are considering a hybrid remote-office model and looking at what to do with their current premises.
Our Property Options webinar on 24 June will help you explore the choices available if you’re thinking of reducing your property portfolio, relocating, reviewing the space you have, or considering new premises. You need some innovative thinking and to consider all the pros and cons. Depending on social distancing requirements, the layout and design of office spaces will need to be considered, including signposting, screens, cleaning measures, ventilation, and one-way systems. Open plan offices, hot desking and shared equipment, designed to encourage flexibility and collaboration, will need a rethink.
As a follow up to this webinar we’re also going to look at employees and hybrid working relationships that many organisations will be considering. Combining an office base with remote working options also needs innovative thinking and careful consideration to get it right. Our Flexible working webinar on 7 July will help employers thinking about the return to the workplace. We will discuss the potential challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends around flexible working, and what you need to know if you are considering a change.
A recent survey revealed that after lockdown ends nearly three quarters of UK knowledge workers want a hybrid arrangement, splitting their time between home and office. Over the past year, many employees have found a better work life balance, enjoying a more flexible working culture, saving time and money on commuting and childcare, and feeling less stressed and more productive.
But the move to home working hasn’t suited everyone and some employees have felt isolated and disconnected. A focus on communication, consultation and employee health and wellbeing is important before any decisions are made, and there are many practical HR steps you will need to consider.
If you do decide to opt for a hybrid way of working, there is much work to be done around coordinating teams and resources. Effective communication is crucial for a distributed workforce if you want to maintain team dynamics and stay connected. You need the right digital tools for instant messaging, chat and video conferencing to make communicating, collaborating and problem-solving easier than before. If you are struggling with Teams, email, Slack, WhatsApp etc, an internal communications manual can be the key to creating and supporting successful communication.
We’re going to be looking at all of these issues in our two webinars. We won’t have all the answers, but we can help you think about what questions you should be considering. Book your place now.
