As restrictions begin to be eased and vaccines become more widely available, the return to office work is right around the corner. While many businesses have chosen to remain with a work-at-home model or some hybrid of the two, the office is not going away any time soon. While it may be a slow migration, the time to prepare is now. Here we take a look at how to prepare for the return to the office.
Create A Flexible Plan
First, you’ll want to establish a team responsible for creating and carrying out your return-to-work strategy. This should consist of upper-level management and human resources. You’ll want to review all government and state guidelines and devise a plan for a safe and comfortable return to work. Your plan should be flexible and allow for any changes that may happen regarding new protocols and regulations handed down by the government. Implement social distancing and mask protocols and ensure you have enough hand sanitizer and wipes to maintain a safe environment.
Phase-In Your Returns
It is probably best not to have everyone return all at once. Start with volunteers and critical staff and work your way from there. You may even consider having multiple locations just in case another spike occurs. Those who don’t need to be in the office and have shown to be productive working from home should be the last to return. For those who still do not feel safe working in the office, consider them for full-time work from home status. If they remain productive, this will actually save your business money. As people begin to return, make sure to hold periodic meetings to go over safety protocols and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Develop Screening Protocol
Some level of testing will likely be administered at the majority of businesses. This could include a simple temperature check or an actual Covid test. Employee safety and the ability to maintain operations will depend heavily on the preventative measures taken by individual businesses. Social distancing procedures should be communicated along with your screening, and protocols for in-person meetings should be established.
Deep Clean Facilities
Scheduling a deep clean prior to employees returning to the office will give your staff a bit of peace of mind and provide a clean and safe environment for them to work. Most cleaning companies are now well-versed in the CDC guidelines on creating a safe and healthy environment. A one-time deep clean is undoubtedly a must, but it is a good idea to schedule them monthly and have your regular cleaning staff handle the upkeep in between.
Business Continuity Plan
The pandemic has completely redefined what a business continuity plan is. There are many components that were simply not on the radar for many businesses. Technology such as cloud computing and storage, VoIP, meeting software, and instant messaging was not necessarily a priority before the pandemic. While we are all hopeful something like this won’t happen again, it is necessary to be prepared for the worst. Alto9 works with your team to determine how to best approach business continuity based on your organization’s needs. Contact us today for a free consultation.
