After the lockdown, the need to continue the work process forced employers to embrace the idea of working from home. Employees were given work materials like laptops, data, and other tools that are necessary to make sure that employees can effectively work from home or in a remote location. Work meetings have left conference rooms and employees can connect with fellow employees, clients, stakeholders, etc through conference calls.
Vaccines are already being provided and following the administration of vaccines, employers need to open their office doors for workers to return to work. Everyone cannot possibly return to work at once. While planning on how to get workers back to work one after the other, the health and safety of workers need to be considered. Employers mustn’t get it wrong in the process of bringing their employees back to work so that another pandemic does not break out. Here are some safe ways that will be resourceful in bringing the world back to work.
1. Important workers first
Since companies have adapted to the remote working style, all workers do not need to return to work at once. Employers need to first profile their staff and determine which staff need to return first. Some staff can conveniently work from home and their productivity will not be affected. However, some members of staff need to be at work to ensure the smooth running of the business.
These workers are the ones who need to return first to curtail health risks. An example of members of staff that should return first is the ones who are in charge of maintaining the general facility. It is the job of this team to ensure that the office is in optimal condition, in terms of structure and sanitation. They will also be charged with making the office safe for the return of the rest of the workers. The Information Technology team can resume after the Facilities team. The sequence of this return will depend on the work process of the company. An easy way to go about this is by asking workers to resume in the order in which they were asked to go home.
2. Develop new rules
To curb the spread of the coronavirus, there is a dire need to change the way we interact with one another. Hosting dinners and other public events will have to be put to an end or the number of attendees will be limited to observe social distancing. Also, handshakes and other forms of physical contact may also be shunned in the workplace.
Workstations will also partake in social distancing. The spaces between workers need to be increased to avoid the possibility of coming in contact with each other. Regular washing and sanitizing of hands should be encouraged too. Not just encouraged, facilities should be put in place to make sure that workers can observe these safety measures.
Whilst vaccines are providing greater movement towards more normal measures, you should comply with the rules set out by the HSE Executive to ensure you are staying compliant and helping to keep your workers safe.
3. Not everyone will resume
The office space will remain the same after people come back to work. This means that some people will have to stay at home to ensure social distancing. As the distance between workstations is increased, more workstations will be displaced and this will mean less space for people. All workers are important, but some will have to work from home in the meantime.
4. Constant communication
New circumstances require new strategies. About getting back to work, companies need to find new ways to communicate with staff, customers, clients, and other people affiliated with the company. New methods need to be devices to communicate information within members of staff who are at home and work. Companies can no longer rely on notice boards. A platform has to be created where information can be effectively disseminated. On the part of customers, new marketing strategies need to be developed because of market expansion. To fit the new way of work, companies need to come up with strategic plans to reach a large audience, generate more leads, make more sales, and ultimately generate revenue.
Final word
The pandemic did not give companies enough time to prepare ahead and this caused a lot of companies to take emergency measures. These measures led to a loss of money, drove the stock of other companies into the ground, and even made some people lose their jobs. To rise from the worldwide crash while keeping the world safe, proper planning needs to be done. These ways will help to ensure safe resumption back to work.
