For a variety of reasons, including college students returning to campus, holiday celebrations, and other events, the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States is once again on the rise. Although some businesses still have their employees working from home in order to minimize exposure, plenty of others needed their workers to return to the workplace. No matter the type of business that you own, it’s important to stay vigilant in order to prevent the spread of the virus to your employees, their families, and your customers. So, what plan of action should you choose? Luckily, there are a number of precautions that you can take, many of which should have been in place for months, to remain vigilant and protect what matters most.
Enforcing the Use of Masks
One of the best ways to remain vigilant is to enforce mask usage. However, there may be people who refuse to wear one or who cannot for medical reasons, so you’ll have to find a way to accommodate them while keeping everyone else safe. Since masks prevent the transfer of the virus from person to person, they are essentially the first line of defense when it comes to finding ways to keep everyone in your business healthy. An additional line of defense is taking the temperatures of all employees as they enter the workplace and, in some cases, customers as well to ensure everyone is healthy and not carrying the virus.
Social Distance as Much as Possible
There’s a reason why social distancing has been strongly encouraged by medical professionals, including those at the CDC – because it works. Staying at least six feet away from others, whether you need to separate out cubicles in your office or keep customers a good distance from each other when standing in line, also prevents the spread of COVID-19. The virus can’t travel as effectively over distances of six feet or more, making it safer to keep your distance from others, no matter the situation or setting. This, combined with masks, can help keep COVID-19 numbers down in your workplace, even when the number of cases nearby is on the rise.
Encourage Workers to Monitor Their Symptoms
The United States as a whole has created an overall workplace culture that encourages people to work even when they don’t feel well. However, this global pandemic has made it clear that this needs to change. If any of your employees feel sick or have symptoms of any illness, even if they aren’t clearly indicative of COVID-19, they need to stay home and be tested as soon as possible. It’s important to give them plenty of leeway when it comes to using their sick days and inform them that if they have a fever, they should not come to work under any circumstances. If they can work from home and feel well enough to do so, then allow them to do so. However, if they really are sick, they should be allowed all the sick days needed. After all, the best way to keep those COVID-19 numbers down is to not allow sick people to come to work where they can infect others.
It’s Up to You
Preventing the spread of COVID-19, even as the numbers begin to rise around the country, is up to you, the business owner. You need to be proactive, vigilant, and do everything that you can to keep your workers and your customers (or clients) healthy. This involves following all of the CDC guidelines, from mask wearing to social distancing, and informing workers that they need to stay home when they don’t feel well. In the end, you must prioritize the health and safety of your employees and customers in order to keep your business healthy and safe as well.