It’s safe to say that for most of us, COVID-19 turned the everyday routine on its head. Working styles, locations, customer interaction and expectations have completely changed. To deliver our Members with peace of mind, we have listed our front-foot approach in response to coronavirus.
Whatever way you’re working, rest assured that with our Safe Work compliance and active measures including regular cleaning efforts and conscious social distancing, have been introduced to keep you safe. So now, you can return to business as normal.
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How will Waterman Business Centres comply with social distancing rules?
Waterman can ensure that we are fully informed and are directed by the government as well as WorkSafe’s leading on the changes and initiatives required to keep a workplace safe and compliant during this pandemic period.
We have taken actions including reducing meeting room capacity, changing seating configurations from high density areas, increased daily cleaning schedules and are providing alternative seating areas for overflow in common areas. In addition to government and WorkSafe guidelines and recommendations, we have also implemented further measures to ensure you can work from a safe, efficient and enjoyable office environment during this period.
To read the full list of actions taken by Waterman to ensure your safety, read our COVID-safe action plan.
How often will high-touch surfaces be disinfected?
Every night, each centre is thoroughly cleaned. However, we have also implemented a new daytime cleaning routine for the foreseeable future during the pandemic period. The day cleaning routine consists of wiping down and disinfecting high-touch surfaces such as meeting rooms, kitchen benchtops, appliances, printers, elevators and common areas every two hours.
In addition to that, bathrooms will also be checked twice per day and cleaned every night to ensure that they remain at a hygienic and compliant standard.
Further, cutlery, kitchen utensils and dishware will be removed from our centres for this period and each member asked to bring their own to minimise the shared handling of these objects and curb the unlikely risk of infection.
Will all hot desks be disinfected after each use?
Disinfectant-wipe dispensers have been installed in the co-working areas of each centre to allow each member to wipe down their workstation before and after each use — this way we can all share the responsibility of caring for each other’s health.
The desks will also be disinfected every night as part of the standard cleaning schedule.
What rules are in place for Members who show COVID-19 symptoms?
As a general rule, if you are experiencing any sign of illness, no matter how mild, we ask that you stay home for your own as well as everyone else’s safety. However, if a member is persisting against this advice and is found exhibiting symptoms of illness in a Waterman Centre, that member will be politely asked to leave by the Community Manager and the Service Team will record their details for contact tracing in the event of a confirmed case.
Also, you are required to greet your guests at the door and if you see that they are showing any symptoms of feeling unwell, you will be required to send them home. If you fail to do so, yourself and your guests will be asked to exit the building and your details will be recorded by the Service Team for contact tracing.
If you are exhibiting symptoms, please stay home and ensure that you get tested appropriately. If you do test positive for COVID-19, make sure that you report the results of your test to us immediately so that we can take the necessary actions to keep others in your Centre safe.
How is Waterman Business Centres supporting leasing tenants?
Waterman is ensuring that our centres remain open during this pandemic period for anyone who is unable to work from home at this time.
Everyone with an office still has 24/7 access to their office and is welcome to come in and use it at their discretion, while complying with the safety guidelines.
In March, we put together an internal committee to support the need of businesses who were struggling financially during this time. We launched a program for those who were experiencing financial hardship within our Centres to apply for to receive both rent waivers and rent deferral.
Will Waterman events change from on-site to webinar only?
While we’re all excited to experience the buzz of being together again in one room at a Friday Night Drinks or a Taco Tuesday, our world is going through a transition at the moment and we are all waiting to see where it lands. In the meantime, to comply with government regulation and recommendations, group gatherings will be on hold for the time being and the majority of our events will be hosted online, primarily through our ‘Waterman Business Community’ Facebook group, webinars and Zoom calls.
With that said, there’s plenty of variety in our online events and lots of new people for you to meet in our “Zoom hangout” sessions from the safety of your home or the office. Make sure to join the group online to check them out!
Will communal areas look different after COVID-19?
At this stage we are taking all the necessary precautions to make sure that we comply with government social distancing regulations for our spaces, which means lowering meeting room capacities, removing chairs from high density areas and making only every second workstation available, etc. This is how we will operate for the foreseeable future until there is clear direction from the government that we can ease some of these measures and evidence that it would be safe to do so.
No doubt, there will be aspects of COVID-19 that influence the way we work, including our spaces — however, at this stage it’s too early to tell what the extent of those changes will be.
Will all Waterman Centres continue to provide sanitisation stations?
Yes. In addition to those already installed, we will be adding sanitisation stations near all entry and exit points of our floors and buildings, in high traffic areas and in all meeting rooms to make sure we all have easy access and to encourage the regular maintenance of hand hygiene.
In addition to that, we will be installing sanitary wipe dispensers in all coworking areas for the wiping down of desks before and after use by each member.
Is there someone I can talk to for more information about Waterman’s efforts surrounding COVID-19?
Each business is encouraged to have a designated ‘COVID Champion’; a person who is aware of all proper Work Safe and OH&S processes and procedures and relevant government updates. This person is also responsible for ensuring members and staff are remaining socially distant and are practicing all reasonable precautions while in the centres.
In the case of Waterman, our ‘COVID Champions’’ are your local Community Managers. Feel free to approach them with any question or email covidsafe@waterman.com.au with any concerns or suggestions you may have during this period.
What is the benefit of a flexible workspace?
Flexible workspaces are especially important in the current landscape of COVID-19. With the benefit of flexible contracts and arrangements to suit your budget, skill set or team size, co-working spaces like ours allow you to save the added costs and stressors related to strict leases.
Plus, our iconic spaces can enable your employees — who may be working from home currently — to find a familiar and invigorating space that’s Safe Work compliant.
Read our recent blog about why coworking spaces are even more important now, here.
What do Waterman’s flexible workspaces include?
At our core, we seek to support the growth of entrepreneurs and small business here in Australia, because we believe that both offer an invaluable contribution to the growth of the Australian community.
All Waterman Memberships deliver the convenience of:
– Free Wi-Fi
– Concierge and reception
– On-site cafes at select locations
– Over 100 bookable meeting rooms
– Efficient printing facilities
– Spacious training rooms
– Outdoor spaces
– On-site or nearby parking
– Networking events
– Bookable workstations
– Access to amenities and facilities
– Dedicated Community Manager
Waterman Business Centres has a dedicated team who continue to deliver a safe workspace for all our Members.
If you would like to discuss any of the above information further or are interested in exploring a safe space for your business, please contact us.