Introduction
The government’s latest advice is that those who can work from home, should work from home, to reduce social mixing and to, in turn, attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus.
According to the ONS figures, released at the end of June, 20% of people worked exclusively at home with 12% reporting that they have worked flexibly; working both from the home and travelling into work. This has resulted in an increase of over 60 per cent of employees either exclusively going into work, or in combination with working from home.
We have also seen studies showing that the wellbeing of remote workers has recently decreased, and perhaps following this, more and more employees are now choosing a flexible and dynamic approach to where they work.
It is clear that one of the safest options at the moment is to continue working from home, but for those that do need to go into the office, either for their productivity or wellbeing, how can we ensure that employees are safe?
One way to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of those employees at work is through digital signage. Digital signage can be utilised in multiple ways during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve highlighted a few to show you the importance of digital signage in the modern workplace.
Digital Signage for Social Distancing
Digital Signage can be integrated with sensors and IP cameras to ensure that social distancing protocols that are in place are being followed.
Perhaps one of the hardest changes to adopt in the workplace at the moment is social distancing. Collaboration and productivity are created through employees coming together and sharing ideas, but it is often harder to ensure social distancing is maintained when employees are working at desks, or in a meeting room.
Digital signage can be placed in relevant ‘hot spots’ of the workplace and integrated with IP cameras and sensors to remind employees to keep a safe distance when social distancing protocols aren’t being followed.
Digital Signage for Occupancy Control
Digital signage can be integrated with social distancing detection technology to assist with access control and occupancy control.
Cameras and social distancing software have the ability to detect whether people are abiding by the social distancing guidelines put in place. This technology can also be applied to occupancy control. In places where communal areas can only hold a certain amount of people, the solution can be set to work with automated barriers or doors and utilise digital signage to send real-time reports and alerts.
Digital Signage for Health, Safety and News Updates
At the present, health and safety updates are changing frequently, and workplaces are having to adapt and react accordingly.
With the capacity of providing real-time, remote messages, digital signage is a convenient and flexible way to keep your employees up to date with relevant workplace guidelines to keep them feeling safe, and ensure they are all following guidelines and policies. Live news feeds can also be displayed on digital displays, so employees can be kept up to date with any government guideline changes and the latest advice.
Digital Signage for Wellbeing
During this time of change, wellbeing has shown to have decreased, and anxiety levels have increased. Ensuring that your employees are kept happy, as well as safe, is important to not only retaining talent, but also employee’s productivity and wellbeing.
Digital signage can be utilised to share wellbeing messages across the business, as well as displaying serene and calming scenes of nature. Nature is proven to be one of the best ways to boost a person’s mood and wellbeing. For those who work in the city, experiencing nature can be quite a challenge; however, with digital signage you can bring nature indoors to help with workplace wellbeing and productivity. Whether you are creating a designated area for wellbeing, or want to promote it throughout your offices, digital displays are a simple, but effective way of boosting the wellness of your employees.
Conclusion
Utilising digital signage in the workplace is a great way to help with health and safety in the time of COVID-19 for multiple reasons. Remark Group have experience in designing and installing digital signage solutions for the workplace to help with internal communications and health and safety in the workplace. Get in touch today to discuss your digital signage needs.
