COVID-19: HOW TO FOSTER SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
The preeminent item on each managerial team’s list of priorities should be reserved for strategizing ways to bring operations back to a semblance of normalcy. This facet of decision making is a moral, ethical, and legal necessity for all companies. From the businesses point of view ensuring your employees health and well being is paramount, after all, without a confident and healthy work force there is no chance for a successful transition following stay at home orders.
Employees are relying on their organizations to have a well thought out strategy for their safe return to work. Managerial teams must have complete understandings of local orders and compliance policies. Additionally they must ensure compliance with federal and state mandates as restrictions are lifted. Since these regulations will vary depending on the locations in which their organizations operate, it would behoove executives to develop tactics for a multitude of scenarios centered on where the most essential pieces of the organization are located.
New strategies for sanitation and safety will need to be drafted and implemented.
Once organizations get the green light to reopen offices, factories, and distribution centers, management teams will need to overcome the challenges that come with maintaining their employees safety throughout their workflows from every aspect of the organization. In addition, Workstations may have to be reworked. Changing the layout will mitigate the spread of any infectious diseases and will encourage employees to return with confidence. Hybrid scheduling is also an option. Adjusting schedules to include physical and virtual workdays will dramatically reduce the number of individuals in the building at any given moment.
It is crucial for companies to establish guidelines for strict use of personal protective equipment, such as facemasks, gloves, sanitation stations. It will also be critical to check employee temperatures for fever before returning to work. Cementing rules governing when employees can return to work after recovering from infection will also be necessary. Given the universality of the technology at an organizations disposal, it may be possible to take advantage of apps to streamline contact tracing as well as communication with employees who have been exposed to the virus and need to be self quarantined. At the end of the day, it is the responsibility of employers to have these policies in place and the PPE equipment in stock at the workplace to ensure that the system is consistent and taken seriously.