Ravi Chandran
A comprehensive guide for real estate tenants and landlords on reopening workplaces as stay-at-home restrictions are lifted has been published by Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) has released its “Recovery Readiness: A How-to Guide for Reopening your Workplace,” a comprehensive guide for real estate tenants and landlords on reopening workplaces as stay-at-home restrictions are lifted. This follows the creation of the firm’s Recovery Readiness Task Force (RRTF) External Link and the launch of its new social distancing product Six Feet Office.
“It is extremely important to the health and safety of people around the world that organizations take well thought through precautions when introducing their employees back to the workplace,” said John Forrester, President of Cushman & Wakefield and Executive Chair of the RRTF. “Our workplace experts, in conjunction with our top researchers, have created this guide to make this monumental migration from home more approachable – with quick and customizable solutions that are cost-effective to implement.”
In creating the recovery readiness guide to reopening workplaces, the firm leveraged insights and best practices from its recent experience moving 10,000 companies and nearly a million workers back into 800 million square feet of buildings it manages in China through a joint venture with Vanke Service.
The reopening workplaces guide outlines “The Safe Six” workplace readiness essentials:
- Prepare the Building – implement cleaning plans, pre-return inspections, and HVAC and mechanicals checks
- Prepare the Workforce – create policies for deciding who returns, shift/schedule management and employee communications
- Control Access – enforce protocols for safety and health checks, building reception, shipping/receiving, elevators and visitor policies
- Create a Social Distancing Plan – follow guidelines for decreasing density, schedule management and office traffic patterns
- Reduce Touch Points & Increase Cleaning – implement open doors, clean-desk policy, food plans and regular cleaning of common areas
- Communicate for Confidence – recognize the fear employees may feel in returning, communicate transparently and listen/survey regularly
Matthew Bouw, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific at Cushman & Wakefield noted, “The How-To Guide for Reopening Workplaces is a must-read blueprint for both landlords and tenants on how to successfully navigate the difficult task of returning people back to the workplace in a safe and sustainable way”
“The recommended practices and protocols outlined in this guide have already been implemented within a number of countries across Asia Pacific, with tremendous success. We are also partnering with several specialist firms that have deep subject matter expertise in relevant areas. As an example, we are collaborating with Delos and the Well Living Lab to undertake scientific evidence-based studies to expand on our 6 Feet Office prototype, with further testing in areas such as advanced air filtration and surface hygiene technologies.”
“The migration back to places of business will look different for every organization, but the principles outlined in this guide are applicable to nearly every real estate owner and occupier,” said Despina Katsikakis, Head of Workplace Business Performance at Cushman & Wakefield. “As we navigate the complexity of this unprecedented situation together, our experts will continue to provide general guidance as well as bespoke solutions to our clients at every step of the way.”
About the Well Living Lab
The Well Living Lab, a collaboration of Delos and Mayo Clinic, is dedicated to identifying how indoor environments impact human health and well-being. It conducts scientific research with human subjects in a simulated real-world environment and shares practical findings that can be applied to improving indoor spaces where people spent approximately 90 percent of their time. The lab has 5,500 square-feet of sensor rich, reconfigurable space in downtown Rochester, Minnesota.
About Delos
Delos is a wellness real estate and technology company with a mission to be the world’s leading catalyst for improving the health and well-being of people by improving the indoor environments where they live, work, sleep and play. Informed by more than seven years of research and rigorous analysis of environmental health impacts on people, Delos and its subsidiaries offer an array of evidence-based technology and solutions for the built environment. Delos is the founder of the International WELL Building Institute and the WELL Building Standard, the premier standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness. The International WELL Building Institute administers and continues WELL’s development and drives market adoption. Registrations under the WELL Building Standard have surpassed 4,100 projects in 59 countries, encompassing more than 530 million square feet. Delos collaborated with the Mayo Clinic to create the Well Living Lab, a scientific research center that uses exclusively human-centered research to understand the interaction between health and well-being and indoor environments. The company’s advisory board is comprised of leading professionals across real estate, healthcare, government policy and sustainability, including the 17th Surgeon General of the United States Richard Carmona, UCLA’s Dr. Jonathan Fielding, renowned wellness luminary Deepak Chopra, and sustainability advocate Leonardo DiCaprio.
About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 53,000 employees in 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2019, the firm had revenue of $8.8 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services.
About Hines
Hines is a privately owned global real estate investment firm founded in 1957 with a presence in 205 cities in 24 countries. Hines has approximately $133.3 billion* of assets under management, including $71 billion for which Hines serves as an investment manager, including non-real estate assets, and $62.3 billion for which Hines provides third-party property-level services. The firm has 165 developments currently underway around the world. Historically, Hines has developed, redeveloped or acquired 1,393 properties, totaling over 459 million square feet. The firm’s current property and asset management portfolio includes 539 properties, representing over 232 million square feet. With extensive experience in investments across the risk spectrum and all property types, and a pioneering commitment to sustainability, Hines is one of the largest and most-respected real estate organizations in the world.
