It’s a natural reaction to be a little anxious or nervous about returning to work after months of working from home or being furloughed. It could almost feel like the first day of a new job, as although the surroundings will be familiar there will undoubtedly have been changes made, however slight.
The pandemic has had an effect on everybody, detrimental or not. So, it stands to reason that many employees will be apprehensive when it comes to sharing office space with multiple other people. Lone or remote working has become very attractive to employers and employees alike; employers can retain their workforce but allow them to work from home. This allows the opportunity to downsize to smaller office premises, which means smaller overheads. Employees can enjoy a flexible working week; with no commute they can begin work earlier, allowing them to finish earlier and childcare issues can be reduced for those with children.
Of course, it’s not always practical to have your whole workforce at home. But flexibility is key to staff retention, wellbeing and ultimately safety. Staggering the number of employees in the building at any one time is a good place to start. This way, social distancing can be safely adhered to, and desk arrangements can be implemented accordingly.
So what else can be done to keep your business running safely?
Stop the spread!
- Sanitising must be the one thing we do regularly. Installing hand sanitising stations, or just placing sanitising gel at strategic points throughout the building will encourage everyone to be more vigilant in the hand hygiene. You could invite any visitors to the premises to use these stations too.
- Ensure that regular cleaning of high traffic areas/shared surfaces is undertaken.
- Invite mask wearing. Although this is no longer a legal requirement in indoor spaces, those who wish to can wear a face covering.
Ventilation
- Where possible, let in fresh air. Poor ventilation allows viruses to remain in the air and on surfaces for longer.
Review Cleaning Procedures
- Commercial cleaning has always been key in keeping on top of the spread of germs and viruses, but never more so than now. Your current cleaning procedures may need reviewing and adapting to ensure that all sources of potential infection are eliminated, paying particular attention to door handles, phones, keyboards, and appliances within communal areas.
- If your premises has been exposed to a positive case of Covid-19, then a specialist cleaning service may be required. This will prevent any further spread of the virus within the building.
Relax
Nobody wants to be in an environment that feels ‘uptight’ or uncomfortable. The reality is that we are all adapting and learning to live with Covid, but as the majority of the population are vaccinated and new infection rates are reducing, we also need to relax a little. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be vigilant and abide by rules issued to keep us safe, but if we are to return to anything like the pre-pandemic normal then we must start somewhere.
Why not invest in a commercial cleaning service to take care of the day-to-day cleaning duties? It will help take some of the stress away from workforce, knowing that hygiene and cleanliness throughout the building are being professionally addressed.
