With the COVID-19 pandemic under control in much of the world, businesses are attempting to transition back into their regular lifestyle. Part of this transition is bringing employees back into the workplace. Here are some helpful tips to ensure that you practice safety when bringing employees back to work.
Set Some New Rules
It’s pretty much become accepted by most individuals that this pandemic has altered some of the normal ways that we function throughout the day. It’s best to outline those changes that you expect to see at your location. This includes things like wearing a facemask, practicing social distancing during meetings, and sanitizing regularly.
Take a moment to have these rules delivered to each employee via a memo or a video chat. Just let your employees know what is expected of them and what will happen if they don’t follow these new rules. If your employees have been working remotely, it would be a good idea to allow them to continue and return to the office when they feel comfortable.
Invest in Cleaning More Often
A commercial cleaning company is going to be your best friend during this time. This level of defense can assist you in keeping common areas and surfaces clean throughout the day and week. You should talk specifically with cleaning services in your area to determine what extra sanitation measures they’re taking to protect against the virus. It’s also a good idea to relay this information to your employees to help solidify the safety of the workplace.
Provide Sanitation Stations
You should implement the use of sanitation stations where your employees can have access to cleaning products. Usually, hand sanitizer and wet wipes are a great start. This will encourage employees to keep their hands, desk, and equipment clean throughout the day. It also showcases your business’s caring for the safety of its employees and reinforces the concept of cleanliness in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Encourage Self-Health Evaluations
Make it a point to let employees know that you expect them to evaluate their own health on a daily basis. If they notice any symptoms associated with the virus, they should be staying home and be getting tested. Even consider health check-in stations where employee’s temperatures are taken and so forth. This can solidify the importance of monitoring their health and help to protect other employees from ones that may have contracted the virus.
Poll Your Employees
Understanding the sentiments of your staff can do more than just improve confidence and trust in the management team. They will have insights into the daily happenings that you would not. Ask questions about how they feel with the new safety procedures, such as cleaning, sanitation, social distancing, and time off. You may find that it is all overwhelming for them, or maybe they will have suggestions for things you could improve to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Keeping your employees safe is more important than ever before with the looming threat of the coronavirus. The above are just some of the many ways that you can implement more safety in your workplace. Just realize that safety is a dual effort between you and your employees.
