Going Back To Work Safely
Whether your staff has already started to transition back to the office, or you plan to soon, you need to make sure you’re doing it safely to avoid putting your employees’ health at risk.
While the COVID-19 pandemic may not be over, across the country, shelter-in-place orders are being relaxed, and plans are being made to dictate how businesses can reopen and get their staff members back to work. While this is expected to be a long and slow process, it’s exciting to look forward to a normal workday again.
Regardless of when you’re intending to bring your staff members back to work at the office again, one thing is for sure – you will need to take precautions to limit the possibility of spreading COVID-19, and contributing to a second wave of the pandemic. It will be difficult, but not impossible.
Best Practices For Returning To Work
Before you bring your staff back to the office, make sure to plan and disseminate new policies like the following, all of which will help to keep everyone healthy and safe:
- Limit In-Office Workers: To start, break your staff up into small teams that can rotate between working at the office and at home. That way, everyone gets the chance to work in the office every few days, without there being so large a group there that you put them at risk.
- Promote Air Flow: It is recommended that you increase the amount of outside air entering the workplace by opening windows or adjusting your ventilation systems.
- Sanitization: Make sure to frequently clean all public surfaces, including doorknobs, handrails, and surfaces in bathrooms. Hand sanitizer and soap need to be readily available.
- No Sharing: Make sure that staff members know not to share phones, desks, office supplies, or other tools that can and should be limited to one user.
- Take Feedback: Make sure your employees know that you’ll hear and address any concerns they may have about going back to work.
- Spacing: Depending on your current set-up, you may need to reconfigure your office to accommodate a 6-foot distance between desks and other areas employees need to occupy.
- Accountability: Stress to your staff that if someone isn’t feeling well, they need to stay home. No one should feel obliged to work in the office if it could put them or others at risk.
- Harness Technology: If you’re worried about infected people coming in to work, consider implementing a thermal body temperature monitoring solution, which will allow you to safely and effectively track elevated body temperatures.
Whenever you do choose to open your office again, make sure you’re not putting anyone at risk. However important it may be to get back to work, it’s not worth risking anyone’s health.
Like this article? Check out the following blogs to learn more:
Go Back-To-Work Safely With ATG Thermal Protect
Alvarez Technology Group’s Luis Alvarez Talks COVID-19 Contact Tracing On Power Talk Radio
