COVIDSafe floor plans: What the latest regulations could look like for your business

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Across the country, businesses are beginning to reopen amidst an easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. From restaurants to retail stores, this process is being approached with necessary caution, complete with a detailed set of regulations to follow. But the question remains, what will this look like for your business?

In order to open their doors, business owners need to comply with the Australian Government’s overarching COVIDSafe framework. Covering everything from cleaning practices to establishing and displaying a COVIDSafe plan, the framework specifies that all businesses need to ensure that there is 4 square metres of space per person with a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres from others where possible.

While the federal government has proposed the plan, the timing and intricacies of each step are up to each individual state and territory. You can find the specifics for your location here:

With so much information on offer, it can be difficult to understand (or visualise) what changes your business will need to make. With Safe Work Australia and your local government providing the insights you need, the Xero team has brought some helpful details together to create a series of floor plans that illustrate how a cafe, retail or accounting/bookkeeping business could arrange their space in line with the COVIDSafe framework.

*These floor plans are illustrative only – they may not work for you. Every business will need its own floor plan to fit its working space and people. If you need more information, please see the Work Safe Australia guidelines and speak to your advisor.

For more details and to stay on top of the latest changes, you can find the hospitality guidelines from Safe Work Australia here.