Don’t call it a comeback; businesses may have been closed or slowed down, but even with the lights out and the office empty, business leaders have been working harder than ever to make sure they get the return to work right.
While some states are already opening up, many others across the United States are still tilting toward a slow, staggered roll out of reduced restrictions. More and more industries will get the green light to get back in action, and while many of these companies will work with a number of guidelines, they’ll be inching closer to normal operations.
A priority for both the health and productivity of your teams will be safety. We’ve put together a few ideas that could be implemented in any office space that could reduce their risk, increase their confidence, and help all of us get used to the new normal.
Work At Home. What you’ve done over the past few months should give you great insight into just how practical working from home is for your company. By now, there should be a system in place. Allowing more workers to work at home regularly offers a lot of benefits, including reducing potential exposure. This option might be even more important for workers who live with at-risk individuals like the elderly or those with a compromised immune system. Still leery about their productivity at home? If you don’t trust them to get the job done without looking over their shoulder, you hired the wrong person.
Shifts. It may not be practical to simply shutdown the office forever. Instead, many companies are looking at having different hourly or even daily shifts to bring workers in intelligently. By having teams come in and work with each other exclusively, you can offer the in-person benefits without risking more spread to the whole workforce. Each team may have alternating or designated days to come in, with other days spent working remotely.
More Sick Days. Offering your employees the opportunity to work at home when they’re healthy makes it easier for them to make the decision to stay home when they aren’t well. Don’t stop there, though. By offering more paid sick days, you’ll empower your team members to rest and get healthy, completely unplugged.
Sneeze Barriers. It’s inevitable that people will need to work in the office and with each other. By redesigning your office space to reduce the trendy ‘open’ design and placing barriers in key areas, you can reduce the spread of any disease. This will improve your productivity year-round, even when this pandemic is resolved. Additionally, many workers would appreciate a bit more seclusion when they’re trying to get things done.
What other measures are you introducing to keep your team safe as everyone gets back in action? Let us know, we’d love to hear your ideas! Email Susan at susan@trinitasadvisors.com.