Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are already companies that have decided to resume office work. However, business owners should always keep the well-being of their employees in mind. Aside from maintaining the cleanliness of the establishment, what else can you do?
Implement New Protocols
Social distancing is one of the top concerns that owners have nowadays, especially since viruses have a higher chance of lingering in enclosed spaces. This is why you should start establishing a plan to prevent the spread of the virus as your employees return to the office.
Change the Flow
If you noticed that the workstations of your employees are too close to one another, then it would be wise to make some changes to the layout first. You can move the chairs and desks so that everyone would be able to maintain a six-foot distance at all times.
You can even place barrier screens, desk separators, or even whiteboard partitions to help provide added protection. Floor stickers could serve as reminders as well, especially when someone is waiting in line, in the lobby, outside the bathrooms, and so on.
But if the office space can no longer accommodate all your employees after all safety protocols are put in place, then you can implement an alternating work schedule. Instead of reporting to the office from Monday to Friday, you can assign some of them to come in on Mondays and Wednesdays, while the rest can come on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Clean Regularly
As much as possible, you should also ensure that there is someone who would regularly sanitize the entire office, especially the common areas, such as break rooms and meeting rooms. Making use of no-touch items, such as trash bins and soap dispensers, would be ideal as well.
Improve the Exterior Areas
Since it is now a bit safer to be outdoors, owners may also want to invest in improving the exterior parts of their establishment. Stress is already something that a lot of individuals experience regularly. It could be due to a personal problem, an early deadline, or maybe even both. Whether one admits it or not, this would affect their overall productivity. So, you could provide a space where you and your employees can take some time off.
Add an Office Garden
Aside from providing shade and fresh air, having even a small garden with plants and trees could also help people regain their focus and motivation. At the same time, they could produce phytoncides, which is something that we all need right now since these can boost our immune system. For proper maintenance, you can even choose to reach out to professional arborists so that you are always assured that your green space receives the best care possible.
Allow Them To Work Outdoors
Every individual is different. This is why owners could also give their employees the option to bring their work with them outdoors. Despite the many amenities that you may be providing inside the workplace, there may still be times when a quick stroll or a change in scenery could significantly increase your creative thinking. So, you can consider investing in an outdoor patio as well.
Meet with Your Employees
Before resuming actual work, you should also see to it that you hold a proper meeting so that everyone will be aware of all the adjustments made in the office. At the same time, this would give employees the chance to voice out their opinions because they may have some suggestions that could further improve the new setup.
Bring Back a Safe and Productive Workspace
Despite the convenience that comes with working from home, business owners may still find it ideal to return to their usual setup. Not only would it restore a fast and easy way of communicating, but it could help improve one’s productivity as well.
But before you proceed, you should first ensure that you make the proper changes. Remember that there is still an ongoing pandemic, so safety should always be a priority. When it comes to workstations, desks and chairs should have enough partitions and would need to be within the ideal distance at all times.
To promote creative thinking among employees further, owners can also consider investing in the exterior areas of their offices. In that way, everyone would have the chance to get some fresh air and take some time off, if needed. At the end of the day, we are all still trying our best to cope with the current situation.
