The past ten months have been an incredibly stressful and unsettling time for everyone. The development of a Covid vaccine is light at the end of the tunnel but there is still a way to go before we return to any form of normal. It is more important than ever for our front of house teams to look out for the mental health of staff and customers as well as their physical health. You never know what might be going on behind a façade.

Guest services teams have a core role in reassuring customers and making them feel safe in their workplace. Each workplace is unique, and employers will choose to implement precautions such as social distancing accordingly. The precautions may change with time and this can add stress and uncertainty. Guest services employees will need to work closely with clients to keep up to date with the precautions and effectively communicate them to building users. Having an active member of staff able to answer questions and ensure precautions are being followed will be greatly reassuring.

It can be stressful enough for many to return to their own workplace, but some people must visit others as part of their role. The reception and floor hosting teams will play a key role here in directing visitors through the building, informing them of precautionary measures, and ensuring they feel safe and comfortable.

While staff become accustomed to the changes in their workplace, guest services employees will have their hands full. At the same time, though, familiarity can be greatly reassuring. Covid precautions should not be at the front of everyone’s minds. Instead, they should be designed to fit naturally into the working life of the building and become second nature to building users. This is absolutely what we are working to achieve at Portico. Rather than stressful, the return to the workplace should be an enjoyable experience. Working from home has brought with it its own mental health challenges with many reports of loneliness and high levels of anxiety. Guest services employees are there to grease the wheels, making the return to work a friction-free process that people look forward to. There are plenty of ways in which the changes brought about by Covid can be used to our advantage. With buildings at lower capacity, for example, the pace of the workplace is calmer and guest services employees can pay more attention to the people they are looking after.

At Portico, wellbeing initiatives have been vital in caring for and motivating our staff and our clients. We have led wellbeing talks at client sites, inviting guest speakers to discuss sleep, work-life balance, stress, and mental health. Looking out for the mental health of customers and clients could not be more critical in today’s climate. To do that we also prioritise looking after our own Portico employees and aiding their wellbeing so they are well equipped to support others. As the age old saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup”. Guest services employees, whether in-house or outsourced, are vital in streamlining the return to the workplace and caring for customers throughout the process.