Masks, sanitiser and lonely lunches: the future of office work?
It’s a vision of the future for millions of office workers.
Chinese tech giant Baidu allowed Reuters cameras to see how it's keeping returning staff safe.
The changes start at the front door, with all workers facing temperature checks.
Then getting in the elevator is no longer a simple business.
One staffer explains:
"And you can see there is like a, sort of a logo here saying if you're on lower level floors, you're encouraged to use the stairs. You can see that the door is opened, which is normally closed. So people are encouraged to use the stairs, like during a time like this. And over here you can see these footprints which indicate that you need to keep a distance of one metre.”
Later in the day, lunch can be a lonely affair.
The staff cafeteria is only half open, and people are encouraged to eat at their desks.
Though table sharing isn’t completely banned.
Disinfection is a constant process throughout the building, including anything that’s brought in from outside.
Even the company robots are on message.
This is a special time so we should not gather together, says this one, while also reminding staffers to wear a mask at all times.
Meanwhile exercise is still encouraged, but only at a safe social distance of course.
None of this seems a problem for Baidu, which says it expects to beat forecasts in the second quarter.
But until a vaccine is found, scenes like this could be the new normal.
Office workers of the world, you have been warned.
