Work Safer As You Return to the Office

Working in the office has changed, and we’ve broken down how to create a safer workspace in 6 easy-to-follow steps.

  1. Reevaluate your office
    Your current office layout may have people sitting too close together without adequate room for social distancing. Maybe your reception desk lacks an acrylic divider to keep both your employee and your guests safer. Carefully evaluate all aspects of your office to ensure that you, your employees, and your customers can feel comfortable in this new normal.
  2. Update workspace
    This is not the death of open-office setups; it’s time to be creative. Reconfigure your existing workspace into a layout that provides more space and create safe division by adding innovative division products in easy-to-clean finishes.
  3. Guide traffic flow
    Though their desks may be perfectly distanced, people are going to need to get up at some point. When you consider where people will walk most often--between desks, to the restrooms, and the break areas--it’s important to prevent bottlenecking. You may consider implementing one-way traffic in walkways to avoid possible contact with others.
  4. Establish etiquette
    In normal life and especially during a pandemic, covering your coughs, washing your hands, and wearing a face mask are some of the best ways to be considerate of others and stay safer. Make hand sanitizing stations available at your workplace to help curb the spread of germs.
  5. Assign a Prevention Leader
    Ensure that everyone on your team understands the new norm in your office by identifying someone who can share that message clearly and with compassion. This person will be in charge of making sure that everyone is on the same page and helping remind people of the new expectations. A great person for this role is often someone in Human Resources.
  6. Stagger scheduling
    One of the best ways to prevent the spread of illness and maintain social distancing, even in smaller workspaces, is to stagger when employees are in the office and when they are working remotely. Fewer people in the office each day means less germs. It may not always have to be like this, but for now, it is best to maintain distance where you can.

During unprecedented times, we often have to make decisions we never imagined. However, we hope that with the help of these 6 steps, your transition back to the office will be a smooth one!

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