Reimagining the new normal at work after COVID-19, Regional Director & Singapore Head of Office, Stephen Lyon is featured in The Straits Times’ Saturday Life!
I feel it’s important that we think more about ‘business resilience’ than ‘infection control’ when considering what to do when the first line of defence fails.
Examining the physical, social, and digital needs of the future workplace, Lyon shares, “I anticipate that clients will be re-evaluating how they work, post-crisis, particularly during the first few months when employees return to the office”.
The feature highlights M Moser’s work with Beam Suntory and Zendesk in Singapore as examples of creating spaces for interaction and collaboration while allowing for social distancing. Lyon expresses how there may be a need for businesses to stop desk-sharing, keep alternative desks free, and divide into two or more teams, alternating between working from home and the office.
In the short term, Lyon says clients will be looking at how best to respond to the virus. Ways in which they can show employees they care might include making quick retrofits and upgrades such as using ultraviolet light in air-conditioning systems to kill germs.
In the longer term, he shares how M Moser teams will be looking at more specialised support systems to help clients bounce back from disruptions. “I feel it’s important that we think more about ‘business resilience’ rather than ‘infection control’ when considering what to do when the first line of defence fails”. He also highlights the importance of re-examining and enhancing IT systems.
As the world embraces a “new normal”, Lyon emphasises that there will be an increasing need for workplace design to provide for all contingencies.
