As Gilbert + Tobin begins to open up its offices with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the firm says it has put in place a plan that requires staff to receive approval before they come into the office—a move made to ensure that there are never too many people on the premises at the one time.

Like Gilbert + Tobin, many firms are limiting staff numbers to ensure social distancing measures required by the COVID-19 pandemic can be met.

Herbert Smith Freehills has a maximum of 30% occupancy at its Perth office, which it began reopening two weeks ago. Local firm Clayton Utz's offices in Perth and Brisbane have a maximum of 30% of staff on any one floor at a time and the firm expects to move to 50% capacity next week.

Gilbert + Tobin opened its Perth office a few weeks ago with reduced density and is gradually reopening its Melbourne and Sydney offices, with the expectation that only 25% of staff will be on site at any one time.

"Attendance at the office must be approved on a week-by-week basis. To get approval for the week ahead, staff will need to complete a form before they come into the office," the firm said.

"This will help monitor and manage overall occupancy rates. If demand exceeds the capacity limits we have set, then we will discuss with teams the option of moving days, with priority given to those who are finding working at home particularly challenging and teams that need the benefits of the office or if they need to meet clients."

The firm said it will increase occupancy rates over the coming weeks if things go well and services such as public transportation hold up well.

"We expect that by the end of July, the vast majority of staff will return to the office in some capacity, however this will not be mandated and we will find that some people prefer to have a hybrid of office/home work, if that is efficient for them," the firm said.

Anglo-Australian firm Herbert Smith Freehills opened its Perth office two weeks ago and its Sydney office this week, and is limiting attendance to about 30% of the full complement of staff.

"We are gradually getting to about that number. People are communicating their movements so we can manage this," the firm said. "We will look to go beyond that over the coming weeks, when we are comfortable that our systems are working and there are no health or safety concerns."

The firm will reopen its Brisbane office June 15, and its Melbourne office when the state government of Victoria eases restrictions there.

The government of Victoria last week said people who had been working from home must continue to do so for at least all of June for fear of a second outbreak of COVID-19—a move that could push back some firms' plans to reopen in Melbourne.

"Our position remains that our people should work from home unless there is a client and/or business-critical need to be in the office," HSF said. "To ensure that we are adhering to all safe distancing requirements and appropriate hygiene measures, we will be monitoring numbers closely and will have a strict capacity on occupancy as we start to reopen our offices."

It has also instituted "one-way traffic" in some areas of the firm to ensure staff keep apart.

Global firm Pinsent Masons is planning something similar for when it reopens.

"We're planning to implement a one-way traffic flow system in our offices to maintain distances between employees, especially in tighter circulation zones around seating areas or in large communal hub spaces where foot traffic is heavier," the firm said.

It has also placed stickers on the floor around printers and photocopiers to show staff where to stand while they wait.

Unlike many other firms, Pinsent Masons has held back on so far opening its Perth office.

A spokesperson said it had been waiting until the West Australian government moved to Stage 3, which allows for gatherings of up to 100 people and allows beauty salons and concert halls to reopen—which only happened this past weekend.

"Also, working from home was going so well that we didn't want to hurry people back into the office until they felt comfortable to return," the spokesperson said.

It expects to reopen its Perth and Sydney offices next week or the week after.

The firm said it has had an agile working model since it opened in Australia in 2015.

"Our approach shifts the focus for employees from a 9-to-5 office presence … to a focus on recognizing outcomes delivered for clients. Delivering maximum flexibility and minimal constraints, the office agile working model is designed to empower employees to choose where, when and how they want to work to meet individual, legal practice and firm goals," the firm said.

Australia has seen a total of 7,267 COVID-19 cases and a death toll of 102, with two new cases in the past 24 hours.