Right now, working from home seems like a great idea. It means no one has to interact with anyone outside of their family (ideal for social distancing and safety in terms of coronavirus), and they can still be productive. Money issues won’t be such a worry, and businesses can continue; they might not be growing right now, but if workers can be at home, at least they can survive.
However, there will be some who cannot work from home. These are the people who work in customer-facing jobs, construction, and manufacturing, and it has been hard for them with no work. So the news that some businesses are able to reopen is welcome, although still a worry. After all, coronavirus has not disappeared, and it could still be caught when people start to go back to work, especially if they have to interact with customers on a regular basis. So how can these people who cannot continue to work from home be kept safe? The good news is, there are a number of rules that are put in place for exactly this reason. Read on to find out what they are.
Social Distancing
Social distancing is one of the most important elements currently available to us when it comes to containing the spread of COVID-19. It means staying six feet apart from anyone we don’t live with so that we can stay healthy and prevent anyone else from catching coronavirus.
This can be hard in a retail environment, but it’s not impossible, and it will mean that your business can reopen, and your employees can come back to work, which suits everyone. Marking out six feet spacing on the floor is a good way to remind people of how far away they need to be, and using contactless payments rather than cash or check is another good idea. Limiting the contact that anyone needs to make with an employee or other shoppers is going to help immensely.
Deep Cleans
In the past, an office, shop, or warehouse might have been cleaned once a week or so, but only a quick clean, and then perhaps a deep clean would be carried out on an annual basis. Today things are different, and in order to help those who cannot work from home for whatever reason, and to support businesses reopening, having COVID-19 disinfection services carried out is something that can make a big difference. This should be done daily if possible, to ensure that all surfaces and equipment is safe to use.
On top of the deep clean, PPE can be a good additional layer of protection. This means gloves and face masks and potentially a full faceguard. Of course, the gloves can be problematic and should not be worn all day – instead, hand sanitizer can be a better option.
Know The Rules
If you find that employees are a little reluctant to come back to work even if you have reopened, it might be that they don’t know what the rules are or how to comply with them. In this case, make sure you offer training so that everyone is aware of what they need to do and why they need to do it.
Simply giving people a pep talk that explains what must be done right now to get the economy building again can be enough to instill confidence and reopen your business.
