Expert Tips On How To Return Safely To Work On The Heels Of Covid
Top Tips for Returning to Work After Social Distancing
It finally feels like the world is on the track to returning to normal, but this is a double edged sword:
- On one hand, people are excited to finally go back to socializing and back to their jobs in the office.
- On the other, breaking true social distancing increases the chances that infection will spread again.
We’re here to help you and your employees feel and be safe upon returning to work. By following these tips, you can set your office up to be a smooth and infection-free work environment.
Already reopened? See these CDC approved tips for maintaining a healthy workplace during Covid-19.
1. Is It The Best Time For Your Employees To Return To The Office?
The first thing, and possibly the most difficult, is deciding if it’s safe for your employees to return to work. Until there is a vaccine, there’s no golden rule to follow and no sure guarantee. Consider these points:
· Which industry are you in?
Depending on your industry, you might have to wait for the green light from the government to open you doors. Food service, retail, and entertainment industries are big ones for this and can only bring people back to work when the government allows.
However, if you’re a corporate office, you have a little more freedom to decide when is best for your employees to return to work. This primarily depends on the size of your office and the number of employees in it…
· How many employees do you have?
If you run a small operation, employees can easily return to work while practicing the safety precautions outlined below.
If you have a large workplace with many employees, things can get a little tricky. Since too many people in one area can risk a spike in illness, consider waves or shifts.
Waves: Upper management or select teams can return to the office initially. Continue to invite back employees little by little over the course of several weeks.
Shifts: Since many employees do better work in the office away from the distractions of home life, it might be in your best interest to implement “shifts.” With management permanently returning to the office, employees can each have set days that they can come into the office to work. Gradually, more and more employees can be allowed on a given day until the office is at capacity again.
(NOTE: with this method it is IMPERATIVE that your janitorial team does thorough cleanings each day.)
2. Keep Social Distancing In The Office
We can’t stress this enough. Returning to work doesn’t mean you don’t have to continue practicing social distancing. When employees come back to the office, they’ll begin to feel like things are truly returning to normal and let down their guard. You can avoid this outcome by implementing the following
· Hang Social Distancing Signs
One of the easiest ways to remind employees about social distancing is to place signs around the office. Have them in strategic places, such as: the lobby, restroom, breakroom, and outside individual department offices. Also, remember to post signs in the restroom reminding employees to wash their hands with soap.
· Protective Barriers
Companies, like ProfTech, carry physical, protective barriers that you can place in your office to enhance individual space. These can include room and desk dividers, and are highly effective at deterring unnecessary socialization and contact.
3. Give Your Staff Sanitation Options & Masks
Personal sanitation is key to returning to work successfully. There are two ways you can ensure that this is happening in your workplace:
· Give all employees face masks…
…and other personal protection equipment and make wearing them mandatory. This will help to keep everyone safe from breathing in any bad germs or viruses.
· You can have sanitation stations
This is where employees have a general place in the office that gives them access to hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes & other such products. You can also distribute hand sanitizer to your employees, ensuring that they all have and use it at their desks.
Returning to work can seem like a confusing and daunting task, but we’re here to tell you that it can be done. Safely done. We’ll help you make the best Covid Essentials plan for your business.
