When this whole COVID-19 situation has started a lot of people thought that it will end in just a couple of months. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It sometimes seems like it’s spreading rapidly and the world is continuously bombarded with the latest updates.
As the situation evolves, a lot of corporations, both large and small are unsure of what they are supposed to do when it comes to the pandemic. Most of them are wondering how they can protect their workers, mitigate risks and at the same time maintain a good relationship with their clients.
Something has to be done that’s for sure. Businesses are constantly looking for advice and recommendations that are going to help them preserve both, their firm and the people working in it. We are about to list a couple of key steps that should be implemented.
Useful Strategies To Help Fight The Spread Of Covid-19
Working From Home
Most corporations should allow their employees to work from home whenever it is possible. Exceptions may involve when unable to do so due to the personal circumstances of any workers or nature of work.
Furthermore, a company should consider whether it is crucial to the business functioning for workers to perform their tasks from the office. People should only be in their office in cases when there isn’t any other better solution.
In the situations where employees must stay at their workplace, it’s of huge importance for staffing levels to be kept to an utter minimum. Companies must follow all public health instructions, such as having a physical distance of two meters.
Now, some corporations (especially those firms that are not office-based) may not be able to fully follow working from home directions. In these instances, companies could consider implementing other changes to make sure their co-workers are being completely safe. They should:
- Decrease the number of people in the workplace whenever they can, including decreasing the number of individuals permitted in communal areas.
- Decreasing the number of face-to-face interactions between the staff members and consumers.
Protective Desk Screens
A lot of countries are starting to phase back into their offices and are preparing themselves for the brand-new way of functioning and working. Fortunately, the safety of all workers and consumers is still considered a top priority for all corporations, and all protective, cleaning and hygiene measures are being incorporated.
One of the latest tools used to provide employees with maximum safety is protective desk screens. Namely, these covid desk screens allow people to have full control over the fixtures and installations. Workers can either choose light-weight, smaller screens, or they can utilize full-standing ones fixed to the floor.
Employing protective screens in the workplace doesn’t necessarily have to results in a loss of light or space. Viz, a lot of them are very transparent (made with glass or clear acrylic) which makes sure that employees have full visibility and are able to normally interact, see and engage with others.
What Else Can Business Do?
Reduce Travel And Meetings
In order to avoid any exposure to the COVID-19 or any other virus to a minimum, people should postpone or have online meetings. Although it may sound a bit drastic, all conferences must be skipped for the time being.
In case your employee gets sick because he or she has traveled or was obligated to attend the meeting then you will probably have to deal with a liability issue, or handle sick leave requests. To prevent these occurrences reduce travel and meetings for as long as possible.
Keep Lines Of Communications Open
It’s important to maintain regular and healthy communication with your workers and talk to them about the business and the necessary steps you’ve taken. A lot of them are probably going to feel lonely and isolated, hence, it’s of huge relevance to have high-quality communication with them.
In these cases, direct management and leadership are essential. Moreover, encourage people to interact by utilizing technology to cooperate with each other. Provide them with information regarding EAP (short for Employee Assistance Program) and how they can access it.
Unfortunately, a lot of people have a hard time dealing with social distancing, which leads to stress and depression. Therefore, EAP can play a major role and help them cope with this situation.
There are numerous household tips that can be seen on the state, federal, and public health sites, so if your co-workers are not familiar with them, provide them with the necessary guidance. This will surely help them feel safer.
Cleaning And Hygiene
Every single company is obligated to provide their workers with high-quality supplies, such as hand sanitizer, soap, nitrile gloves, disinfectant wipes, garbage bags, enough washing facilities, and of course, water.
More importantly, constantly remind your employees how essential it is to have a regular hygiene practice. Provide them with thorough information concerning best practices for personal hygiene for clients who may potentially interact with your employees.
Further, eliminate all shared things where cross-contamination is likely to happen, such as water stations, shared coffee, snack bins, etc. Ensure to hire a person who is going to frequently disinfect areas in high contact places, for instance, cabinet handles, doors, light switches, keyboards, and many others.
Experiencing The Symptoms Of COVID-19
Although it doesn’t necessarily mean that every single symptom a person experience is covid-19-related, it’s still important to be very careful. As soon as you notice that one of your co-workers is feeling unwell, check online for all potential symptoms of this virus a person can have.
If you think that he or she has contracted the virus, that individual must not be allowed onto the premises and must be at home until he/she starts feeling better. What happens next? Namely, he or she must follow isolation guidance and if necessary contact the coronavirus helpline. The isolation in this scenario is a must!
For better or for worse, when it comes to the pandemic, we are all in this together and we must find ways to cope with it in the best possible way. All these suggestions that are being provided are going to help you stay safe and eventually return to normality.
