Envoy unveils open beta of Envoy Protect designed to safely bring employees back to the workplace

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis, businesses around the world are still planning to reopen their workplaces. To that end, workplace platform provider Envoy is announcing the open beta of its new product Envoy Protect, a mobile app and suite of tools that offers companies the ability to assess employee health, contact tracing, capacity management and eligibility to enter the workplace, access control within the workplace, and more.

Designed with input from hundreds of companies around the world, Envoy Protect helps companies protect the health and safety of employees as they reopen their facilities, ranging from offices to construction sites, factories to schools.

First announced in private beta on May 14, more than 2,000 of the most forward-looking companies, including Pinterest, 23andMe, Lululemon, Lionsgate, and more, have already signed up to participate in the beta.

In a May survey, 75 percent of companies are aiming to reopen their facilities in some manner by the end of June. The open beta will enable any company to sign up and begin using the product as it’s continuing to be developed. Envoy Protect’s updated suite of tools now includes:

• Wellness checks: Invite and survey employees and visitors before they arrive at the workplace. Protect your workforce by only allowing healthy people on-site.
• Employee registration: Manage and approve which employees can come to the office and on which days. Customize sign-in flows for teams.
• Capacity management and analytics: Set and enforce a capacity limit for the office to prevent overcrowding. View analytics on office attendance across all locations worldwide.
• Access control: Connect Envoy Protect to the access control tools that you use to enable only the necessary permissions for anyone in the office.

“The last few months have completely changed our work lives and workplaces. Even after we emerge from the crises of today, the way we work will never go back to the way it was before. But we know that there’s still value in and a need for working closely alongside your colleagues, and we’re here to make it safe for companies,” said Larry Gadea, founder/CEO of Envoy.

“From the beginning, our mission has been to make workplaces work better for everyone in them, with thoughtful, well-designed products that put user experience first. Now more than ever, the office needs innovative systems that prioritize the experience and privacy of the people using them, and we’re ready to help more companies bring their teams back into the workplace.”

Envoy Protect is available to any company using Envoy Visitors as part of their plan, including those on the free tier. Additional features, including hot-desking, temperature checks, and more, will be included as available.

“The health, safety, and privacy of our teams is our first priority, and we’re putting thoughtful systems and technologies into place as we plan the reopening of our offices,” said Julia Goldberg, SVP, Global Real Estate, Office Services and Security at BuzzFeed.

“We registered for the Envoy Protect beta immediately because we trust that Envoy will build smart tools that will fit our needs. Envoy Protect is an essential part of our COVID-19 Access Policy, helping us redefine what a safe, secure and healthy workplace looks like.”