SOME of Bendigo's biggest employers are preparing to bring more of their staff on site as caps on workers in Victorian offices ease.
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Victorian COVID-19 restrictions change at 11.59pm on Friday, enabling up to 75 per cent of office workers to return to their desks.
City of Greater Bendigo corporate performance director Andrew Cooney said the organisation had been preparing staff to return to the office over the past few months and had continued to adjust expectations based on state government advice and the impact of recent outbreaks.
He said the government's announcement had provided the city with further certainty and helped the organisation plan for a safe return.
"Let's hope we continue to move in this direction," Mr Cooney said.
All office-based council staff are expected to spend some time at their desks each week from March 22.
"We will spend the next few weeks balancing staff numbers across days of the week," Mr Cooney said.
He expected the changes to office staff capacity to have many positive flow-on benefits for surrounding businesses.
Story continues below summary of restriction changes
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank was looking forward to welcoming more staff back to its Bendigo headquarters.
"Staff will still have to book a desk, complete a 'Welcome Back' return to office induction, complete a health declaration and continue to strictly adhere to sanitisation practices and social distancing protocols," a bank spokesperson said.
"We will continue to monitor staff occupancy rates across all of our Bendigo and Adelaide group sites and make additional desks available for booking based on demand."
Coliban Water managing director Damian Wells said the organisation had taken a staged approach to the number of staff returning to its work premises.
Twenty-five per cent of Coliban's staff returned to the office in early January, with plans to bring up to 50 per cent of staff back on site from March 1.
"Once that has been completed, we will start planning for the return of 75 per cent of staff," Mr Wells said.
He welcomed the increase in office staff capacity.
Other restriction changes included an increase in the number of visitors allowed to Victorian homes each day, and relaxing the requirements for face masks in indoor spaces.
Masks still need to be carried whenever leaving Victorian homes, but will only be mandatory in high-risk settings such as using public transport and commercial passenger vehicles, visiting shopping centres and large retail stores, and visiting a hospital or aged care facility.
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