Early in March 2020, the world changed forever when the novel coronavirus forced everyone to change how they lived. That included workplaces. Employees started working from their dining and living rooms and discovered they could be just as effective as working in an office. As the country continues to evolve with Covid-19 going from pandemic to endemic, companies want workers to return to the office. But is there a way to have large groups working close and still keep everyone protected?
New Ways To Work
In July 2022, LinkedIn reported that 54 percent of submitted job applications were for remote positions. That’s a stark contrast from just two and a half years prior when that number was a mere three percent.
One reason is that employees have gotten comfortable working from home. In fact, 60 percent of workers in the United States have said they have concerns about returning to an office five times a week. Of those, 17 percent said they feel more productive at home and want to avoid commuting. Others cited not wanting to wear a mask all day at work.
Finding The Balance, Safely
Not only is it impossible for every employee in the country to work from home, but some jobs can’t be done remotely. There are also companies paying for office space that’s sitting empty. And some employers believe that having people in the office enhances job performance and team collaboration.
Staying safe is still on the mind of some employees. A quarter of workers surveyed said they would only come into the office if everyone were required to be vaccinated. That was the largest stipulation of every age group except those considered Gen Z.
So how can companies that want employees working in-office attract and keep great employees by addressing their concerns about covid and safety? One thing they can do is take matters into their own hands with air purification measures. Air cleaners have been shown in studies to yield the same risk mitigation for covid as having everyone wearing a mask. The effectiveness, of course, comes down to the quality of the air purifier to help with office air safety.
How Many Bluezones Does Your Indoor Space Need?
Bluezone UV-C Air Purification Systems kill up to 99.99 percent of airborne pathogens, including the flu, the common cold, and the coronavirus. Locked inside the Bluezone unit, the systems run 24 hours a day, helping keep the space clean continuously.
But how do you know how many units are needed to keep a given space clean? The main factor is the amount of square footage that’s being kept clean. But the density of how many people there are and what those people are doing is also a determining factor. With the Bluezone calculator tool, it’s easy to get an accurate picture of how many units are needed to maintain office air safety.
