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The Office As We Knew It Isn't Coming Back Anytime Soon. Maybe It's Changed Forever
NPR ^ | 24 April 20 | Uri Berliner

Posted on 04/25/2020 3:20:15 PM PDT by Bruiser 10

Cubicle culture has gone dark. Open floor plans stand empty.

Offices around the world are shut during the pandemic, making work from home the new normal for millions of white-collar employees.

In the United States, remote work is still being encouraged under guidelines outlined by the federal government.

But in webinars and conference calls, business leaders and management strategists are discussing what steps must be taken to bring workers back to America's offices. White House Plan For Reopening States Leaves Testing Question Unanswered Shots - Health News White House Plan For Reopening States Leaves Testing Question Unanswered

The bar is likely to be very high, says David Lewis, who has been on a lot of those calls as CEO of OperationsInc, a human resources consulting company.

"The whole return-to-work thing presents so many different challenges," Lewis says. Some involve retrofitting the workplace. Others involve judgment calls — from deciding about temperature checks and contact tracing to social distancing rules, workplace layouts, tweaking HVAC systems, monitoring school shutdowns and openings, adjusting work shifts and more.

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 04/25/2020 3:20:15 PM PDT by Bruiser 10
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To: Bruiser 10

Oh reality.....I thought this was about the tv show.


2 posted on 04/25/2020 3:22:10 PM PDT by xp38
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To: xp38

Lol


3 posted on 04/25/2020 3:25:26 PM PDT by dp0622 (Radicals, racists dont point fingers at me I'm a small town white boy Just tryin to make ends meet)
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To: Bruiser 10

I work for one of the biggest financial institutions in the country. We have been told that they will take a very conservative approach to bringing people back into offices. The logistics are daunting, plus they clearly are afraid of lawsuits if people go back into densely occupied office towers and the cubicle culture, and they get sick. So this article is right. The office as we knew it is not coming back anytime soon, if ever.


4 posted on 04/25/2020 3:27:10 PM PDT by Avalon Memories (Politics is all about quid pro quos. Donate to me! Vote for me! I'll give you "free" stuff.)
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To: Bruiser 10

Of course it is. It’s cheaper and more effective.


5 posted on 04/25/2020 3:28:34 PM PDT by discostu (I know that's a bummer baby, but it's got precious little to do with me)
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To: xp38

You must have cable or satellite. I didn’t know there was a TV Show called The Office so I assumed correctly what this article was about.


6 posted on 04/25/2020 3:29:56 PM PDT by ocrp1982
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To: Bruiser 10

I worked out of my home for ten years.

The one thing I learned was it take real discipline to do that. There are a lot of distractions. Many individuals do not have the discipline to make it work.

Another problem is loss of contract with co-workers. There is surprisingly a lot of information pass back and forth while interacting with your fellow workers. There is little or none of that when you are working at home.

From a management point of view, cubicles are the only way to go (because they are easy to watch over). I am not sure companies are ready to give up on them yet.


7 posted on 04/25/2020 3:31:14 PM PDT by CIB-173RDABN (I am not an expert in anything, and my opinion is just that, an opinion. I may be wrong.)
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To: Bruiser 10

NPR should go extinct.


8 posted on 04/25/2020 3:37:00 PM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: ocrp1982

The British version was better.


9 posted on 04/25/2020 3:39:14 PM PDT by wally_bert (Transmission tone, Selma.)
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To: Bruiser 10

Lots of ultraviolet lights, end the recirculating air conditioners/heating units and install or modify them to take in lots of fresh air, brown bag lunches, auto spray rooms with timed equipment, avoid the time wasting Monday morning meetings....

When possible open the damn windows!

If not possible, knock a hole in the wall and install a window.

Too many buildings now are like caves. For instance, my doctor’s office, which is a subsidiary of a supposedly top of the profession health system, does not have a single window in the building that one can open.

I suspect the HIVAC is a closed system that only recirculates the air.


10 posted on 04/25/2020 3:41:16 PM PDT by old curmudgeon (There is no situation so terrible, so disgraceful, that the federal government can not make worse)
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To: Bruiser 10

Not that I support this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens: “Want to keep working at home, fine, put up a few webcams”.


11 posted on 04/25/2020 3:43:41 PM PDT by BobL
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To: Bruiser 10
The Office Economy As We Knew It Isn't Coming Back Anytime Soon. Maybe It's Changed Forever

Hope the taxers-and-spenders enjoy the fruits of the L-shaped recovery they have set up.

12 posted on 04/25/2020 3:46:32 PM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: Bruiser 10

Such superficial BS. The mortality rare for CV is approaching that of the generic flu, and that is without a vaccine.


13 posted on 04/25/2020 3:46:54 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Avalon Memories

According to history, Spanish flu took two years for it to go through the world. Then came the Roaring Twenties. If it takes two years, then it will take two years. But people will return to office, eventually. We just don’t know when at this point.


14 posted on 04/25/2020 3:48:24 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Avalon Memories

Forever is a long time. What happens when there is a vaccine or effective therapeutic?


15 posted on 04/25/2020 3:48:44 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Bruiser 10
work from home the new normal

Certainly there will be more people working from home than before, but the new normal? I doubt it.

16 posted on 04/25/2020 3:51:14 PM PDT by libertylover (Socialism will always look good to those who think they can get something for nothing.)
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To: old curmudgeon

UV-C light is a very effective sterilizer. I have UV-C (254 nM) lights to sterilize rooms, in case my wife or I become infected (we’re hoping it will help us look after one another). They work well; but, it’s not safe to be in the room while they’re on. You’re right to say they would be useful in the ductwork; and they could be used to sterilize rooms, while they’re empty.

Recently, I’ve been learning about Far UV-C light (222 nM). Paradoxically, it’s safe for people; while being more powerful than germicidal UV-C (254 nM). Far UV-C lights could be left running, even in occupied offices (or other enclosed spaces). They could make it safe to return to work — in factories, as well as offices. Here’s a link:

http://www.columbia.edu/~djb3/Far%20UVC.html


17 posted on 04/25/2020 3:53:42 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: CIB-173RDABN
> From a management point of view, cubicles are the only way to go (because they are easy to watch over). I am not sure companies are ready to give up on them yet.

Bingo. Most middle management types want complete surveillance and control of their subordinates ...

18 posted on 04/25/2020 3:54:19 PM PDT by SecondAmendment (This just proves my latest theory ... LEFTISTS RUIN EVERYTHING)
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

Interesting.

Thanks.

The people we meet here are fascinating.

On second thought, fantastic.


19 posted on 04/25/2020 3:58:18 PM PDT by old curmudgeon (There is no situation so terrible, so disgraceful, that the federal government can not make worse)
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To: ocrp1982

I never watched it but there are endless memes posted here on FR and all over the internet from it. I know it’s set in Scranton and is actually a copy of a British show.


20 posted on 04/25/2020 4:01:41 PM PDT by xp38
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