Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies across the United States have had to take a number of safety precautions and implement countless new procedures to keep their employees safe. While the CDC and federal government have created a number of safety and sanitation guidelines, it can be tough to keep up with the numerous changes. Simplifying the process, by helping businesses prepare for a safe reopening, involves taking the following proactive steps.
Design a Plan That Follows Federal Guidelines
It all starts with a plan. Take the time to write out every possible change that you need to make to ensure that your company and employees can reduce risk and stay safe despite the ongoing pandemic. Consider things like protocols to follow if an employee comes to work with a fever and other symptoms, as well as who is in charge of making sure that the workplace stays as clean as possible. There are many checklists out there, some created by the CDC and U.S. Government, that can help you with this part of the process. Follow the guidelines, plan for every contingency, then place that plan in an easily accessible place.
Create Clear Signage
In this “new normal,” constant reminders are key. Signage is important, no matter what type of business you’re running. Stores need to remind customers to wear a mask when entering and to avoid shopping when suffering from COVID-19 symptoms. Business owners need to remind employees of those exact same things – wearing a mask and not coming to work when feeling ill to reduce the risk of exposing others. For the safety of everyone in your building, make sure these warning signs are posted at all entrances and other popular gathering locations, like break rooms and bathrooms.
Require Employees and Customers to Wear Masks and Social Distance
Social distancing and mask usage are the two main ways to contain and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Even in a company staffed by workers who are in their 30s and who have no known health complications (i.e. people at low risk of contraction of the disease), social distancing needs to be practiced continuously. Also, your employees should wear masks at all times, unless they are in their private offices alone.
Maintain a Healthy Work Environment
There are two components to maintaining a healthy work environment. One, you’ll need to rearrange workspaces to ensure that your employees can properly socially distance while at their desks or in their cubicles. And two, everything in your building needs to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis. Although COVID-19 is spread mostly through respiratory droplets in the air, it’s important to sanitize everything, especially high-touch, high-traffic areas, to keep people from accidentally coming in contact with viral particles.
Encourage Hand Washing and Good Hygiene
A healthy work environment also includes practicing healthy habits, like hand washing and maintaining an overall sense of good hygiene. Stock your bathrooms, kitchen, and break room areas – anyplace with a sink – with plenty of paper towels and hand soap. Placing signs there to remind employees to wash their hands continuously and have plenty of hand sanitizer available, as well.
Inform Employees of Potential Repercussions
Communication must be consistent. What happens when one of your employees knowingly comes to work while infected with COVID-19? Obviously, they should be sent home, but there should be some other sort of repercussions for potentially infecting their colleagues. Consider a series of possible guidelines and serious repercussions for knowingly coming to work sick that will ensure your employees know to stay home when showing any possible COVID-19 symptoms. Without these guidelines being explicitly communicated, some employees may still come into work when feeling ill and possibly infect other healthy employees. In addition to this, make it clear that paid sick leave is available for those with COVID-19, and keep your attendance policies as flexible as possible while maintaining productivity levels. In today’s climate, you do not ever want your employees to feel as though they’ll be punished for being prudent and staying home.In order for your business to safely reopen, it will take a collaborative effort to implement a safety plan, follow social distancing and sanitation protocols, and reduce the risk of viral contraction as much as possible.
Need some help coming up with a plan to safely reopen your business and to ensure that you’re meeting all of the state and federally mandated guidelines? We can help. Contact us, today.