How to Create the Ideal Workplace Environment as You Reopen Your Office

Even as you open your office, you should continue to implement health and safety guidelines to protect you and your employees. The reality of the situation is that COVID is still out there—and everyone must be just as vigilant, even during the transitional process, so that there isn’t a second peak break out. Here are three ways you can protect your employees while reopening your office.

Follow Health Guidelines

You should follow CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting your workplace. Make sure that each employee has hand sanitizer on their desk and uses it frequently. Furthermore, make sure bathrooms and desks are cleaned more regularly than normal. Continue to practice social distancing, even within the workplace. You may want to even take all your employees’ temperatures at the door with a medical, non-touch thermometer to ensure that no one enters who shows symptoms. In fewer words, make sure that you don’t take reopening to mean that everything is back to normal—because it isn’t.

Continue Using Remote Employees

Where possible, you should continue using remote employees to reduce crowding in the workplace. In fact, most companies are realizing that many employees don’t have to come to work at the physical location and that they can work just as well (if not better) from the comforts of their own home office space. This is not only considered an environmentally friendly option, but it could also save your company money in the long run since using remote employees decreases travel costs and need for more rented office space. But for now, continuing to keep employees at home will help prevent the spread of COVID.  

Update Sick Leave Policies

Even if you are taking temperatures at the door, your employees may be showing up to work with other types of symptoms. Given the economic downturn of late, many employees worry about making enough to take care of themselves or their families. If there isn’t a good sick leave policy in place, there is greater risk that your employees will show up to the office sick—and get everyone else sick in return. If this is a risk for your employees, you may want to take another look at your sick leave policies and make things a bit more lenient so to better protect everyone coming into the office.

As a business leader, you have a duty and responsibility (both legal and moral) to protect your employees during these unprecedented times. Even though the economy is reopening, that does not mean you shouldn’t be taking extra precautions to keep everyone safe and mitigate exposure to COVID. Follow these three principles so you can lead your company to a safe reopening.

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