After months and years of working from home, offices are shifting back to onsite work to streamline business operations, and to build a cooperative work environment. However, with the pandemic ongoing, it may be a difficult shift for many businesses to tackle as we attempt to protect ourselves from getting infected by the virus.
Some offices never shifted to the work from home setting, but they may still be confused with the proper protocols for working in the office. Guidelines have been updated repeatedly, and some workplaces may still be working with the outdated guidelines from previous years.
Be prepared for onsite work with these 5 tips that will help your office maintain a healthy work environment despite the pandemic. As we shift our work schedules, we have to understand that we cannot immediately go back to how we managed our businesses before. Things have changed, and a good business should be able to adapt to these changes.
1. Office Cleaning Checklist
The first aspect you need to consider when shifting your business back to onsite work is cleanliness. Sanitation is a priority now more than ever, and you need to be able to provide a healthy, clean, and disinfected environment to your employees. Besides, after years of non-use, the office is crawling with dust and dirt!
A commercial cleaning checklist will guide you through a thorough cleaning of your entire office: from the interior to the exterior! Never miss a single spot when cleaning as you have the checklist to guide you. Know exactly what needs to be cleaned and how, and you can maintain a healthy environment for work and productivity.
You may also want to consider getting one-off professional cleaning services from a reputable company to deep clean and sanitize your entire office. After all this time, your office is due for a good deep clean! Professional office cleaning will get rid of the dust and dirt that accumulated on your desk surfaces, as well as the carpet and office curtains.
2. Disinfection Stations
Give visitors and employees a chance to disinfect their hands and shoes before stepping into the office. Set up several disinfection stations at entry and exit points. Have hands-free disinfectant dispensers around the office as well. Keep sanitizer mats at every entrance, and encourage visitors to disinfect their shoes before entering.
These stations provide the resources essential to maintaining personal hygiene during a pandemic. Offer masks to visitors and employees as well, and provide proper protective gear if your business deals with sensitive industries such as food, beverage, medical, and more.
3. Health Protocol Seminars
It is a good idea to put up health protocol seminars around the office to present to employees the proper protocols, standards, and procedures when dealing with onsite work. Include standards such as the wearing of masks, as well as proper hand washing techniques.
The seminar should also provide information on what to do when an employee has been exposed to, or tested positive for, the Covid-19 infection. Include the guidelines on informing concerned parties within the organization about the exposure, and on taking measures to prevent the spread of infection to the rest of the workforce.
4. Mental, Physical, and Emotional Wellness Checks
The pandemic has been a difficult time for all of us, and we need to take good care of our mental and emotional health as well as we do our physical health. Ask around the office on what would help everyone keep their mental, physical, and emotional health in check. Try to keep the office healthy, while still maintaining a high level of productivity and focus.
With healthy employees, your workforce will feel lighter and happier. You’ll get a lot more done in less time, and your employees are more likely to be loyal to the company. You may find that having weekly cool down sessions would help alleviate the stress around the office, but ask around to find a suitable wellness program tailored to your workplace.
5. Hybrid Setup
Schedule shifts to keep the business running, but with a hybrid setup. The hybrid setup ensures that employees do not crowd the office, and neither do they congregate all together in one schedule. You may want to schedule some employees to come in for the month, while others work from home, then flip the schedule every month or so.