The COVID 19 pandemic has shaken the world to the core. Nearly every country in the world, and that includes you New Zealand, has been touched by this pandemic.
And although some are handling it with relative ease, others are having a harder time. Luckily for you, businesses are ready to open but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be taking the proper precautions.
That’s why we’ve decided to give you our 8 tips for getting your workplace ready for COVID 19.
Without further ado, let’s start.
1. Consider Remote Work
Every business has employees. Some have fewer than others, and others have dozens of hundreds. But what we’ve learned so far during this pandemic is that remote work can be a real solution to this problem.
A lot of businesses, mainly IT-orientated, have abandoned their workplaces and instead focus on remote work. What this gives their employees is flexibility, comfortability, and the option of working from home is certainly more appealing to some.
While we understand that not every business can function like this, it is something that might help your case. Remote work has seen a huge rise during this pandemic with nearly 60% of the US workforce has switched to remote work.
2. Social Distancing
Social distancing can make a difference for your employees to stay safe during the pandemic. That’s why we’re seeing supermarkets and businesses put floor signs displaying to their customers the distance they should keep between one another.
While we do agree that not everyone follows these rules, you can easily impose them in your workplace. And all you need to do is simply follow those same rules.
Put floor signs displaying to your employees what distance they should keep, prevent gatherings of more than three people, and have more lunch breaks so that people don’t prevent these rules.
3. Masks
If social distancing isn’t a possibility, then you have to make sure your employees wear masks and in some cases, gloves for their own personal protection.
But not only that, we know that a mask can certainly help prevent the spread of the virus. While some people have a hard time accepting this, wearing a mask in an indoor location is a must.
Not to mention that certain countries even impose fines on businesses that don’t follow the two previously-mentioned tips.
4. Keep The Bathrooms Clean
It goes without saying that the workplace bathroom is one of the filthiest places in the entire building. And while we shouldn’t have to mention it, proper hygiene and keeping the bathroom clean at all times will greatly reduce the spread of the virus.
Make sure that your workplace bathroom has sanitary equipment, but this should also apply to the lunchroom and cafeteria.
5. Keep the Air Clean
A great way to prevent the spread of the virus is to keep the air clean at all times. There are a couple of ways to do that, but none stand out than with air and surface purifiers.
These gadgets are nothing but simple tools that keep the virus at bay. It employs certain methods of doing that, such as UV lights, plasma, and ozone technology.
While there are many more out there, these three are some of the most proven ones.
The surfaces around your office are also pretty nasty and should be kept clean at all times. This technology is so popular because it not only keeps the air clean, but it also keeps the surfaces.
Each method of cleaning is an effective sterilizer and eliminates any traces of the Covid-19 virus. This is something that many businesses have already explored as an option, and many of those have already been utilized.
Air Protect
One device that we have to mention is the Pyramid Air protect. Certified by an independent European laboratory, the air and surface purifier “Pyramid Air Protect” kills the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) where all viruses and bacteria are destroyed quickly!
You can choose between several different modes such as Ozone and Normal that keep your rooms and offices safe – and the best thing about it is that you can be in the room all the time.
For more information, make sure to visit pyramid-air-protect.com.
6. Educate Your Employees
Now, this one is very important as education is key to normalization. While your employees are adults, with most of them probably in their 30s and 40s, there might be younger ones that aren’t that familiar with the Covid-19 safety measures.
Educating about these measurements can make a difference in preventing and encouraging the spread of the virus. And there are a couple of notable safety measures that take nothing but a minute of your time doing.
For example, government officials recommend washing your hands for a maximum of 20 seconds. The spread of the virus is significantly lessened by doing this.
Also, a strong safety measurement is to avoid handshakes and finding another way of greeting your coworkers and friends. This can be a fist pump, for example.
If possible, you should always keep the windows wide open and the doors as well. This promotes air circulation and we know that to be a strong way of battling the virus.
7. Lower the Numbers of Physical Bodies in the Office
This goes nicely in addition to the first tip we mentioned. Namely, not everyone has to be present in the office. You could separate your employees into two groups. The first group will come into work as usual, while the other will stay and work from home.
Then after a week or two, you will switch the groups. This is an effective method of preventing the spread of the virus as fewer people will be meeting around the office.
This also makes it possible to impose social distancing rules.
Another thing you can do is have all of your conference calls on Zoom. If there is an important meeting that everyone should attend, then why not have it on Zoom or any other communications software?
8. Ask For Feedback
You don’t have to be the only person making these decisions. You could gather with your employees and discuss what works and what doesn’t.
Ultimately, you should keep your employees happy with these changes and should look for alternatives to those that don’t work.
If remote work isn’t possible because you run a business revolving around physical work, then you should venture into other areas and find a solution to this problem.
