How do you make your office ready for the new normal?
- Divide and conquer
- Provide proper supplies
- Set up a disinfection station
- Social distancing while eating
- Look for alternatives
If you’re able to practice proper social distancing at the office, a new normal must be implemented to keep everyone safe and healthy. Preparing your office for various situations is nothing new, however, with the current unpredictable pandemic, new changes must be made. It might also entail some investments or necessary upgrades. Either way, it’s important to consider this as you continue your business. Here’s how you can make your office ready for the new normal.
Divide and Conquer
If your office tables are close to each other, social distancing may be a problem. Being at least six feet away from someone else is going to be a key player in your strategy. If you’re confused about guidelines, you can follow the ones listed on the official CDC website to be sure. Another problem you might encounter is that the spaces are too open. Adding dividers can help alleviate that and shield your employees. There are plenty of suppliers that provide dividers at this time and can be ordered online. Having a divider can help separate tables and keep employees distant from each other.
Alternatively, if you don’t have the means to provide dividers, distancing office tables is a good idea as well. You may have to limit the number of employees you have per day but it should work well if you have a proper team circulating instead of having all employees concentrated at once.
Provide Proper Supplies
Once you’ve decided on a strategy for social distancing, provide enough supplies for your employees. Fundamental items like alcohol, handsoap, hand sanitizer, and paper towels are a good start. If you have a water cooler, it may be time to invest in a touchless or motion-controlled mechanism to avoid the spread of germs. If you’re worried about the spread of germs around the pantry and cooler area, encourage employees to bring their own water instead to be safe.
For managing bathrooms and other high touch areas, hiring extra personnel to keep it clean or asking your employees to deploy high standard hygiene habits will prevent viral incidents.
Set Up A Disinfection Station
A disinfection station can be as simple as a plastic mat with some bleach on it. Adjacent to this, you can place some alcohol and hand sanitizer to the side. These can be purchased online or in your favorite stores. If you can afford it, touchless thermometers and temperature detectors can be purchased as well. These important tools will ensure that whoever is going inside the building is healthy and fit to work. In general, you should discourage employees from going to work if they have the slightest fever or cold. Risking your company is not a good idea when there are no solutions available as of yet.
Social Distancing While Eating
If you happen to have a cafeteria within the building, social distancing must be practiced as well. Dining in should not be an option as this can expose non-essential employees and essential employees to potential carriers. If possible, limit the number of people eating within an area and use disposable utensils instead. It’s also a good idea to avoid using the pantry microwave as this is also a proven high-touch area. It’s a small sacrifice but can affect the overall integrity of your workforce.
Looking For Alternatives
Not everyone can report to work and it might be a good idea to keep it that way. The more people you have concentrated within an area, the higher the risk. It’s much better to look for alternatives that are proven to work. There’s an option to work from home and to try a coworking space. Working from home allows your employees to work from the comfort of their house without risking their health. You can let them take home their laptops or use their personal computers at home to get work done. Alternatively, if a couple of employees have no access to proper utilities, a coworking space is another option. Coworking spaces are office spaces where an individual can rent an area temporarily or for a set period of time. The coworking space has utilities and facilities that can work for social distancing if the space is limited. It’s also one of the cheapest alternatives to renting an office floor from a leasing company.
Key Takeaway
The office’s new normal is something everyone should be prepared for. Remember to be understanding at this time and prioritize the health of your workforce. They are the backbone of your production and keeping them safe and healthy during this time can prevent the pandemic from getting worse. Different plans and strategies can be worked on to help ease the new normal at work. Try these alternatives out and help everyone stay safe.
