The return of "Zésigner"

The day has come! Almost four months after transitioning to remote work, we began returning to the office on June 29th. About 30% of the Gamers are now working physically from Fabamaq. The context and circumstances have changed, and we need to relearn behaviours and routines.

We'll do it differently and follow the summary of Zésigner's return day (a fictitious Gamer created for this article, named José and who is a designer).

THE DAY OF ZÉSIGNER'S RETURN

09h00 -  Zésigner arrived at the company wearing his mask. He entered, stepped on the disinfectant mat, and sanitized his hands using the hand sanitizer available at the entrance. Then, he headed to the stairs to go up to the second floor.

09h05 –​It was on the way up that he crossed paths with a Gamer, exchanging the customary "Good morning" while avoiding the usual close contact. Upon reaching his desk, he found the return kit provided by Fabamaq - face shield, pointer, masks, and hand sanitizer.

09h10 –  Zésigner's workday began with disinfecting the equipment he brought from outside. He used the fiber cloth available on his desk for this purpose.​

10h00 – ​The first morning meeting began. Despite part of the team being in the office, Zésigner and the other Gamers shared plans and challenges for the day in their morning daily stand-up meeting via Skype.

12h00 – ​After the morning break, Zésigner felt a pang of hunger. It wasn't the kitchen calling, but rather the restroom. He put his mask back on and went to the bathroom on his floor to take care of business, sanitizing and using hand sanitizer before returning to his desk.​

13h05 – ​It was lunchtime, and according to the schedule for using the main kitchen, Zésigner was supposed to go downstairs as it was the designated time for his floor. He put his mask back on, got up, and descended the stairs to the ground floor. He brought along the delicious bolognese pasta cooked at home, as well as his own mug and utensils. After heating up the food, Zésigner glanced at the sky! That's when he felt the call of the sun, opting for a lunch on the outdoor patio. He sanitized his hands and sat at one of the tables outside to enjoy the meal that the microwave had warmed up.​

13h30 –After finishing the meal, Zésigner sanitized the place, leaving everything ready for someone else to use it. The rest of the lunch break was spent at another outdoor table on the ground floor, under the umbrella, watching the final episode of his favourite series.

14h45 – Zésigner had the second meeting of the day after lunch. This one was in person, with masks and social distancing, lasting 15 minutes, during which the product manager clearly conveyed instructions regarding the details to be changed in the latest line of bingo games.​

16h30 –His stomach signalled its presence again! It demanded a snack to comfort the afternoon break. However, the day wasn't over yet. Zésigner returned once again to the ground floor, used the pointer from his kit to grab a chocolate, and went outside for the afternoon break to soak up some sun.

​17h00 – ​Back from the afternoon break and after completing another asset for a new game, Zésigner participated in a Knowledge Sharing session organized by Fabamaq with the company's occupational health manager. During the digital session, he shared some questions, which you can read in the FAQ available later in this article.​

18h00 – It was nearing the end of another day at Fabamaq. Before leaving, Zésigner disinfected his keyboard and work surfaces, then went to sing happy birthday to the June birthday celebrants in the ground floor patio. This company tradition now took the form of a "ring-a-ring o' roses" game, with Gamers distanced and masked in a circle, but nothing prevented the celebration with a good cake.

Then came the most repeated gesture of the day, rubbing hands with hand sanitizer. Zésigner then headed to the parking lot next to the company to pick up his car and return home after another day at Fabamaq.

DOUBTS ABOUT THE RETURN

This photo was taken at the first preventive Knowledge Sharing session held with Dr. Fátima Graça before the Covid-19 outbreak.

In the context of the return, we organized a new digital session on June 30 with Dr. Fátima Graça, responsible for Occupational Medicine at Fabamaq. Open to all Gamers' participation, the session aimed to clarify all doubts resulting from these first days back in the office. The session was productive and allowed us to introduce several improvements to the return process! Below are several FAQ with their respective answers resulting from this continuous learning process.

HOW ARE TEAMS RETURNING TO THE OFFICE?

- At Fabamaq, team leaders can coordinate the return of 33% of people to the office in two ways:

Mirror model - In the first week, 1/3 of the team is present, in the second week, this group is replaced by another third, and in the third week, the remaining members would be physically present at Fabamaq. This is a rotating model.

Fixed model - 1/3 of the team remains fixed in the office while the other 2/3 work from home until conditions are met for everyone to return to the company.

GENERAL GUIDELINES IN THE WORKPLACE

- Each employee must maintain a distance of at least two meters from another if the workstation is face-to-face or side-by-side.

- Before leaving home, each person should:

• Have available a bottle of alcohol gel or SABA (alcohol-based solution). This solution should contain between 60 to 70% alcohol in its composition;
• Bring utensils, mug, and all meal utensils specific to the workplace;
• At the end of each day, each person should clean their workspace by disinfecting the equipment and surfaces they have used or touched.

MASKS

How many masks were provided?

- ​Fabamaq provided 5 reusable masks (with a limit of 5 washes each) to its Gamers, so they can use them on-site. After reaching the maximum number of mask washes, each Gamer is responsible for purchasing their masks (community or surgical). In addition, Fabamaq also has a reserve of disposable masks, to be made available in case of forgetfulness.​

​

When should I wear a mask?

​
- Masks should be worn for all movements within the company and whenever a Gamer meets another person.​

Do I need to wear a mask at my workstation?

- In front of the computer and sitting at the desk, permanent mask use is not necessary. However, its use is always recommended.

What precautions should be taken?

- The mask should be changed or washed every day. Washed whenever used in the case of multi-use masks. Changed at the end of the workday in the case of a surgical mask.

- Check the information regarding the number of washes supported by the mask on the label and do not exceed the manufacturer's recommendations. The mask has a screen that prevents the passage of viral particles. This screen is damaged with each wash, so using the mask after the maximum number of washes does not produce the desired protective effect.

VISORS

What are they for and when should I use them?

- Visors are a plus or upgrade. They should be used with the mask and in situations where we deal with public service or in cases of high-risk exposure to potential infected. In these cases, other people may be without individual protective equipment or in close proximity, leading to the emission of saliva droplets.

What precautions should be taken?

- Whenever used, the visor should be disinfected using disinfectant liquid.

IN THE MEETING ROOMS 

- ​The guidance at Fabamaq is to conduct meetings digitally whenever possible, using available platforms.

- In cases where in-person meetings are necessary, the following precautions should be considered:

• Follow the maximum room capacity according to the 2-meter distancing requirement between participants.
• In-person meetings should be time-limited to reduce the risk of spread in the area.
• Masks should be worn even with safe distancing to reduce or minimize the possibility of contagion.

IN THE MEAL AREAS

Regarding meal utensils

- Cutlery, plates, and cups cannot be shared among Gamers. As a preventive measure against potential contagion, general-use utensils such as pantry dishes have been removed. Each employee must bring their own utensils for exclusive and personal use.

- Exceptionally, the company provides disposable cutlery and plates for Gamers to use in forgetfulness situations.

- Washing utensils in existing washing machines does not guarantee complete virus elimination. There is still the possibility of contagion during the removal of utensils or through particles that may remain on surfaces. For this reason, the machines have been turned off, and sponges removed, with Fabamaq Gamers advised to wash personal utensils at home.

​

How can crowding during lunch be avoided?

- To avoid crowding in the main pantry, a schedule by floors has been defined.

Can I have lunch with others?

​- The criteria should be the same as for the rest of the day. Interaction can occur between individuals who have regular and close contact, but always following guidelines regarding safe distancing.

What about smaller eating areas? What is the capacity?

- Smaller eating areas, such as those on floors 1, 2, and 3 of Fabamaq, should be used by only one person at a time to ensure compliance with necessary social distancing.

Should I sanitize my eating area?

- Yes, definitely. At Fabamaq, in addition to reinforced cleaning of common areas, all Gamers are instructed to sanitize the area where they eat so that the next people to use this common space can feel safe.

IN THE RESTROOM

- Each Gamer should use the restroom available on their floor.

- All restrooms will have alcohol-based solution available.

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF SUSPECTED INFECTION?

- Fabamaq advises each person to measure their temperature at home.

- In case of suspicion of SarsCov2 disease, the Gamer should inform the Team Leader and People Partner to be provided with a thermometer.

• In case of a positive result, the Gamer will be directed to the isolation room where they should call Saúde 24.
• In case of a negative result, an assessment of health conditions should be made to continue or not the workday (with the Team Leader and People Partner as would happen in a normal situation of discomfort).