Having been away from the office for over 18 months, the thought of coming back may cause lots of different emotions, from excitement to nervousness and everything in between.
Whilst the set up of the office has been carefully thought through to ensure that everyone remains as safe as possible, we thought it might help to hear from a few people who have already stepped through the doors…
Mike Jones, Senior Outfitting Engineer
“I was really looking forward to going back to Carnival House, as it had been so long since I was last there. Once there I was able to make use of the IT Tech Bar to sort out some of my computer issues. The only downside was not seeing more of my colleagues! I’m planning to go into the office at least once a week and I will try to coordinate to be in at the same time as others.”
Gemma Waterfield, HR Business Partner
“I had a mix of emotions before going back into Carnival House, it did feel like the first day back to school after being at home for the last 18 months, a little nervous and making sure I had my packed lunch, water bottle and laptop.
Once in the office, it was amazing to see people, in the flesh and not over a zoom screen after so long. Myself and a few colleagues even went out for a lunch walk and talk and it felt great to be able to connect again on a more personal level. I’ll definitely be using Carnival House on a regular basis and looking forward to seeing more people in the office soon!”
Riccardo Di Berardino, Outfitting Engineer
“I restarted the usual morning routine like prepare my bag, the lunch and reach the office. It’s been weird but also a sign that we are restarting the normal life. I felt quite emotional especially when I was in the atrium. When I saw my desk, I felt a thrill. James Moore was the first colleague that I had met in 18 months and both of us were excited to have a chat face to face.”
Anya Parkhouse-Turner, Senior Analyst, PMO
“I was excited to be back in Carnival House. In my previous job, I had been working in the office full time so I was very comfortable with the lower numbers of colleagues in the office and that the restrictions in place help us limit any risks. I really like being able to book a desk too and have already planned and booked myself in for October.”