COVID-19 and its impact on the FM role

Row of computer monitors in an officeWhat are the current challenges of setting up the new remote workforce? Will this new way of working completely change the way we work forever? Will the growing number of people working from home affect the role and responsibilities of the FM?

By Angela Love, director at Active Workplace Solutions.

We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Debates have raged on about how, why, and even if remote working affects the FM role. Now, however, the landscape of work has changed to such a degree that it can no longer be in doubt.

COVID-19 has thrust the workforce into a mass remote working experiment, and its results will be unclear for sometime. What we do know is that it has put unprecedented pressure on human and technological resources, as the physical and mental wellbeing of staff are pushed to their limits. This experiment will change the way we work permanently and reshape the roles and responsibilities of facilities managers in the process.

How the new remote workforce will affect the role and responsibilities of the FM

Approximately 11 million people have downed tools in Britain since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. To slow the spread of the pandemic, employers have shut down offices, factories and building sites all over the country. With these drastic steps, however, there is a risk that employees fall out of sight and out of mind during the furlough period.

The communication and support provided by both senior management and facilities teams will be key to ensuring that people remain engaged. Right now, leaders need to do the simple things well and consistently. It is vital that they take an interest in their staff – both professionally and personally – and remember to ask them how their hobby is progressing, what new things they are learning during the pandemic, and which new skills they are developing.

Humans depend, and even thrive, on social interaction, motivation, reward, and positive reinforcement. Employers and their FMs can ill-afford to have a workforce not firing on all cylinders when they finally return to the office because they have felt untethered from the organisation throughout this pandemic.

Yet there is no magic formula to solving this. Happy employees are productive employees, regardless of whether they are at home or in the office. If an individual continues to feel supported and knows they are in an environment of care and open communication, they will feel more comfortable during what is a unique and extremely difficult situation.

COVID-19 has created a monumental challenge for FM. However, it should not be a surprise to see facilities managers use this lockdown to their benefit. For example, this could be the time to re-examine their premises and office design, ensuring they are ready to hit the ground running when the lockdown ends. A revaluation of this nature may also allow them to discover areas where they can reduce excess facilities capacity. Or perhaps they will go further and completely re-design their office space to cater for this new breed of remote workforce, improving the agility of their organisation and the employee and customer experience.

The coronavirus has the potential to shift working patterns altogether. Companies that have been forced to embrace remote working may find that some of their employees wish to continue home-working once closures are lifted. Indeed, if this crisis proves that people are able to do their jobs productively at home, why should they bother coming back to the office at all? It is important to remember that work is what you do, not where you are.

FMs are being pulled on consistently throughout this pandemic. Businesses of all sizes, and across various industries, have turned to them for help. Some of our own customers have mobilised people to work from home and, since the lockdown began, we have seen a significant number of requests from facilities managers for home-worker packs such as desks and chairs. Of course, the safety of the workforce will continue to be a priority both for FMs and business leaders, with full focus on display screen regulation as FMs work closely with Occupational Health.We have also noticed FMs attempting to source their own cleaning products and sanitising equipment in order to do deep cleans.

I’m in little doubt that COVID-19 will make the FM industry an even more attractive proposition than what it was prior to the pandemic. Humans have a desire to demonstrate care and responsibility. The crucial role played by FMs across the UK throughout the past few months cannot be ignored or forgotten, and nor should it. With that said, I believe we will witness an increasing number of people seeking roles within the industry as and when employers are ready to hire again.

The role of the FM has been under the microscope but hopefully people will recognise further the crucial role they play in the day to day operations within organisations of all sizes.

COVID-19 and its impact on the FM role