Return to Work
The time has finally come for employees to shift from working from home to re-entering the office environment and starting the daily commute to work again. No more hiding in lounge pants while on business calls, and no more ‘fake daily commutes’. Work-life balance will be on the forefront of employees' minds, as leaving work at the office will be possible again.
There is a high probability that your commute looks different today than it did a few months ago or even a year ago, and now with companies opening office space back up to employees, you might have to think about your daily commute again. Prior to Covid, roughly 4 in 10 canadian workers had jobs that could be carried out from home. Companies scrambled to set their operations up for remote work, when the first lockdown was upon us. Unfortunately, remote work is not an option for many companies or careers. Individuals working ‘essential jobs’ unfortunately have to commute every day during the pandemic and depending on where you live in proximity to the workplace, commuting to work is most likely a common part of your day.
You might be wondering how your commute will be changing post-Covid and you are not alone. Whether you drive yourself, carpool, or take public transportation everything will be different from what it was before. At the forefront of everyone’s concerns are how we can safely return to work and keep not only ourselves, but our coworkers and families safe and healthy. The daily commute is a great place to start. Many might opt to now drive into the workplace more often than before, as safety is their top priority. A survey of TTC riders suggests -47% will resume using the TTC as they did before the pandemic, 47% will decrease the frequency, and 10% will no longer take the TTC or public transit. Even though there have been increased safety measures when it comes to public transportation, many are still skeptical as you cross paths with others, just on the commute alone. Unfortunately, public transit riders have a higher risk of exposure to contracting illness’ and/or Covid. An individual’s risk increases drastically as they use more than one mode of public transportation as they come into contact with more strangers.
During the height of Covid, we saw many business’ and sports teams try different methods to keep everyone healthy. One that was the most successful in keeping players, coaches and staff completely Covid free was the NBA Bubble (or the Disney Bubble). The teams had stayed at a Disney resort, with all the practices and games also being held at the Sports Complex on the property. The players, coaches and staff were allowed to move freely within areas of the resort but if they were to leave, they had to quarantine and receive a negative test before re-entering the bubble. The NBA also distributed a large health-and-safety booklet that everyone had to review. In following the NBA’s lead and having a ‘Corporate Bubble’ approach, this could help employees return to work safely. A corporate bubble approach centres around both maximizing the privacy of users and reducing the spread of illness among the workplace. By using the bubble method, it creates a safe and healthy environment while allowing businesses to prosper. By using a corporate bubble approach and reducing the steps of commuting, this in turn: reduces the number of overall transportation methods used to commute to work, drastically reduces the potential exposure risk to employees and provides a holistic view of the health status of your workforce.
At Hop In, we are committed to not only simplifying the daily commute, but keeping all shuttle riders safe during these challenging times. With private shuttle lines available for companies to help eliminate a stressful commute. Hop In is able to help reduce contact with strangers and less touch points for riders throughout the commute. There is also assurance that between each trip each shuttle makes, they are properly sanitized to reduce the risk of spreading any disease among riders. Recently, Hop In partnered with Achu Health, we have been able to incorporate a symptom tracking into our system and continue to ensure the privacy of all shutter riders who use Hop In’s services. By incorporating symptom tracking ahead of time, this helps reduce the risk of exposure and helps with operational efficiencies. Unlike public transit, there is no lining up for a seat but instead passengers register ahead of time, and scan a QR code once the shuttle arrives at the pick up location.
Unfortunately the threat of Covid does not seem to be going away any time soon. Even with vaccines being made available, many are skeptical about returning to “normalcy”. At Hop In, we provide a logistics software service that offers a customized shuttle solution for the daily commute. Whether you are riding all the way to work, or even just to the transit stations, our main concern is the safety of your employees. Contact us today for more information on our services.
