Plan to Revive...(4 Tips to get you back to the office after COVID-19)
Plan to REVIVE…
with these 4 Tips!
The other day we got a call from one of our clients, a CFO at a local non-profit in Philadelphia. She wanted to get some insight on how to best prepare her organization, of 60-plus individuals, for the eventual transition back to the office after the Covid19 crisis has subsided. We had a great conversation and wanted to share some of the tips with those of you who may have a similar concern. We understand there are larger priorities at the moment, however now is a great time to plan for the comeback!
Reach out to your project manager and discuss strategy. Pull out & dust-off your lease agreement. Take a moment to review the document and pay particular attention to the following;
Pass Through Expenses - Does the landlord have the ability to pass along any cleaning costs and expenses associated with preventive measures, above and beyond their basic services? Most likely they will and you'll want to reach out to them and find out what actions have taken place thus far. Some leases will include a "reasonableness" qualification for such costs or have a cap on the amount.
Interruption of Essential Services - the lease may contain language that gives the tenant a right to rent abatement if services are not provided for a period of time. Chances are, if the clause exists in the document, it won't be applicable for this crisis mainly because of the stop-work-order directed by state and local governments which was out of their control.
Force Majeure - you'll want to revisit this clause and understand the obligations you and the landlord may have.
Lease Term - Now is a great time to remind yourself of the expiration date as well as your obligations to provide notice to the landlord. (By the way, my next post will explain why this will be useful info)
Now that you have a grasp on the conditions of your lease, let's move on to your physical environment. Your first action should be to make preparations for an enhanced cleaning of your space. If the landlord hasn't already done so, you'll want to line-up a team and arrange the provider to come in and perform a thorough sanitization of the office area. Your staff will recognize and appreciate that their safety and health is your top priority.
If you're like some of our clients, you may have had projects geared up before the crisis hit. The work could be disruptive to staff and you may have planned to perform the work during non-business hours. Take advantage of this downtime and have your project manager begin making arrangements to schedule this work to occur immediately after the stop-work-order is lifted. Allow your staff to continue working remotely for a few more days until work is complete.
Most likely you've already been meeting regularly with your department heads or team leads and discussing the business. As part of these discussions, review your company's performance while working remotely. Encourage open/frank communication between your team members. Find out what is working well and what needs to be improved. Collecting data now, while in the moment, will make analyzing and improving business continuity plans more manageable in the future.
Despite still being in the throes of this catastrophe, there's ample opportunity to be diligent about preparing for the revival. If you need any help, you know where to find us! Thanks and stay tuned...
Stay well