As vaccine distribution continues, it’s becoming safer and safer for your workforce to return to the office. Whether or not they feel safe doing so is another story entirely. After fourteen plus months of a raging pandemic, sky-high death tolls, and extensive isolation, a shot or two in the arm simply isn’t enough to wipe all that fear and anxiety away.
To help you make this transition as smooth as possible, we’ve put together a quick list of three ways you can make sure your employees feel safe coming back to work.
#1 Maintain Clear & Transparent Channels of Communication
You’re working hard to keep everyone safe, and the last thing you want is for that to go unnoticed and unappreciated. Be sure to send regular updates, clearly document all safety processes, and store both in an easily accessible location.
As much as you need to share information with your employees, you should also be open to their questions and concerns. Whether they’ve identified a gap in one of your procedures or they need extra considerations because of a high-risk loved one, your staff should know where they can go to get support. Ideally, there should be a dedicated person or team who can field all questions related to your new procedures, as well as addressing individual concerns.
#2 - Consider Making Changes to the Office Environment
In preparation for the return of your workforce, you may want to consider changes to your building or office space. What this looks like could vary greatly, but will probably include things like spacing out seating, installing plexiglass barriers, and/or distributing hand sanitizer dispensers. Be sure to keep up with your clear communication imperative by posting signs with reminders and instructions.
And don’t forget to take into account any instances in which your team members may come face-to-face with people who aren’t aware of your safety procedures (like clients or vendors), and do your best to mitigate that risk.
#3 - Partner with a Reliable Cleaning Company
A quality cleaning company is important to the comfort and culture of an office space in the best of times. Smelly trash cans and dirty bathrooms would ruin anyone’s day. But on the tail end of this pandemic, the cleanliness of your space is paramount. A pristine work environment will both reduce risk and enhance the comfort levels of your employees.
It’s also important that your cleaning company stays up to date on CDC and local guidelines, and that they’re willing to adapt their cleaning protocols accordingly.
Next Steps...
Unfortunately, there are no easy or quick fixes in times like these, but if you’re willing to adapt on the fly and keep your employees’ safety at the center of your decisions, the transition will go more smoothly.
If cleaning services are a weak spot in your current transition plan, it might be time to seek out a new partner. Green Clean Commercial provides reliable, customizable, and environmentally-conscious cleaning and disinfection services to businesses nationwide and we’d love to help you too.
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