What's next for the banks and office spaces along London's Canary Wharf as the city reopens after lockdown (by ShafLdn)
As cities begin to reopen after COVID-19 lockdowns, people are questioning if offices and large business buildings can safely resume operations and go "back to normal."
Individuals forced to work from home under lockdown could well prove to be a catalyst for industry-wide changes in office space and culture. The architects of Barclays' Canary Wharf headquarters believe getting back in the office will be more difficult to piece together than pre-lockdown exit plans.
"We need to make sure that any claims lifts and robots are making are validating," Karitonas said. "Robots in healthcare settings are there, but we need the right level of efficacy." Banks could opt for rotating teams of workers going into the office. One group works in the office for a short period while the rest work at home. In between rotation changes, office spaces are deep cleaned before paving way for a new group of coworkers. Splitting into teams limits the amount of space that needs to be cleaned, and can also limit disruption on the organization.
Alex Prager won't be taking his one hour and 15 minute commute from north London into the East End at least until next year. His fintech firm Broadridge Financial Solutions, based side by side with Canary Wharf's big banks, has already announced plans to allow remote work until January 2021. Deutsche Bank told Business Insider in an email statement that employees working from home "have been asked to continue to do so for the time being," with "seating arrangements and building access points are being very carefully planned as we phase people carefully and gradually back into the office over time."
Companies in other industries closely linked to finance are looking for swift action. An employee at one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms said his work depends on how banks respond in the next year. Just like staff at big banks, he fears that staff working remotely "could easily be lost in big organizations."
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