For some, that mindset is baked in the culture of their industry or their organization, as well as the needs of employees and of the profession. Some will however push towards 100% office presence. From what we’ve seen when we surveyed many of our clients, some will respond to this need at a greater degree. How do CRE and FM professionals aid with this need?Ĭheryl Carron: We know that more than 50% of employees want some kind of flexibility to their schedules in terms of time spent in the traditional office. However, most employers would like to allow for collaboration and in-person facetime. Many have said that they might never bring their employees back to the office. Q: Many organizations have turned to remote working fulltime if an employee’s role allows for that. We have to consider these two areas, EHS and Human Experience, as a watermark – they are always there, integrated into each decision, or approach to the work environment- that means within the traditional office as well as outside of it. Some might continue to work from home, but not all work is conducive to being done remotely. And the reality is that there will be employees who will need to, and want to, come back into the workplace. That perception has changed everything we are doing now, and everything we might do in the near to mid-term future. They need to feel comfortable being there for the entire duration of the workday.

If employees have concerns, are they being addressed? Employees need to feel that they are as safe as they can possibly be, that their wellness is being respected and taken into consideration. Do they feel confident and comfortable? Do they feel assured that their health and safety are paramount, and are being taken care of? How they feel about their work environment is going to impact their productivity while at work. It’s about how an employee feels when they walk into their place of work. For end users, the current situation highlights these in a very different way – it’s not just about PPE. Both have always been important but are now magnified. These are two areas that we must get right, because if we don’t, nothing else will matter. Q: How has the current, on-going pandemic impacted facilities management? What do FM managers and corporate real estate professionals need to keep an eye on today that they didn’t need to before COVID-19?Ĭheryl Carron: There are two things that come to mind – environmental health and safety, and human experience. CoreNet Global’s Senior Director of Content Experience, Sonali Tare, recently spoke with Cheryl Carron, President, Integrated Facilities Management, Sodexo Corporate Services North America on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate real estate (CRE) and facilities management (FM), and what the profession needs to monitor, as organizations start to bring employees back into the office.

Corporate real estate management