5 Tips for Social Distancing in the Workplace
How can you practice social distancing at work?
- Provide Essential Materials
- Disinfect The Workplace Regularly
- Redesign the Office
- New Normal Social Customs
- New Schedules
It’s important to practice safe social distancing if you’re a business who’s planning to bounce back or if you have essential employees onsite. The most important thing to focus on is the health and safety of your employees. Practicing these workplace social distancing tips will help keep COVID-19 from spreading. Here’s what you need to remember when social distancing in the workplace.
Provide Essential Materials
Providing enough alcohol, hand sanitizers, hand soap, and paper towels in your workplace should be an investment during the pandemic. This will help your employees practice proper hygiene when working onsite. It’s the first line of defense against the virus. If possible, investing in disposable masks for your employees will effectively protect them from pathogens. Make sure that waste is also properly disposed of.
Disinfect The Workplace Regularly
If you’re not doing this already, then you should start as soon as possible. COVID-19 can stick to surfaces and stay there for a long time. The only guaranteed way to kill these off is to use cleaning agents. Even simple, warm, soapy water can go a long way. Don’t skip this step, especially if you have a lot of high traffic areas and high touch areas. Spraying disinfectant on surfaces will add an extra layer of protection for your employees and yourself.
Redesign the Office
If you have an open workspace, it might be time to redesign the office to fit with the new normal. The most popular open space for coworking can be very dangerous during this time. Adding supplemental dividers and partitions can create a barrier to prevent the spread of infectious droplets from sneezing and coughing. For seating arrangements, make sure that employees are not sitting too close to each other. Alternatively, you can propose remote work as an alternative.
New Normal Social Customs
If you can, avoid any visitors in the workplace. To keep incidents isolated, only authorized employees should have access. Provide guidelines for physical contact and social distancing. It’s time to avoid handshakes and hugs when interacting with each other. Make sure your employees also understand the six-foot rule. They should be able to maintain that distance from other employees while working.
New Schedules
Flexible work hours and rotational shifts can help employee morale. These shifts and new work hours also work hand in hand to keep your employees safe from the virus. If you need employees at work, make sure that there are a few at any given time. Creating staggered shifts will also allow you to sanitize work stations before the next batch of employees arrives.
Key Takeaway
If you haven’t implemented social distancing at work, you can try out these workplace social distancing tips for starters. Social distancing allows you to take preemptive actions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Practicing these will help minimize the impact of the pandemic and ensure the morale of your team. Help your office be safe by following and practicing these tips and tricks.
