As states continue to gradually open up across the country, businesses are working around the clock to identify a safe way to come back to work. The decisions that business leaders make and the safety precautions they implement will surely be a major deciding factor in the success of America’s COVID-19 response. The question remains: what measures should businesses take in order to return-to-work?
1. Implement Public Health Measures
Earlier this month the Disney Corporation announced a plan that would reopen Walt Disney World on July 11 – something that seemed impossible a few weeks ago. It is one of the largest assortment of theme parks in the world that normally features enormous crowds and an abundance of communal spaces, which is a recipe for the spread of COVID-19. So, how does Disney plan to keep workers and visitors safe from the novel virus?
- Reduced Capacity – during the first phase of the reopening, parks will operate on a reservation system where visitors will be required to present both a ticket and reservation number to gain entry. This will allow a cap to be put on the number of people in the park.
- Automatic Temperature Checks – Every employee and guest will have their temperature checked using contactless scanners before being admitted. Those showing a temp above 100.4 degrees will be subject to secondary screening along with their party.
- Mandatory Face Coverings – every guest and employee (ages 2 and up) is required to wear a face covering that is in compliance with CDC standards.
- Social Distancing – some attractions will be modified or unavailable, ground markings and physical barriers will be implemented, and no-cash payments will be required in order to encourage reduced contact and social distancing measures.
These public health measures, although vital, are rather obvious. There are several other measures businesses must take to reopen safely. These other precautions are not necessarily mandated by government officials and can often be overlooked, but are equally important nonetheless.
2. Accommodate Employee Concerns
The pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty about our “new normal.” As we mentioned in our last blog, this uncertainty has given Americans a lot of anxiety about returning to work. When coming back to work in our “new normal” it is paramount that management listens to and works with employees to ensure everybody feels comfortable at work. For example, workers may want:
- Staggered start times to avoid busy hours on public transportation
- Flexibility to work from home
- Explanation of plans the company is taking to enforce social distancing
This is a busy time for management, and accommodating these concerns will certainly be time consuming. Luckily, there are third party organizations that can help bridge the gap between management and employees.
3. Get a Risk Assessment of Your Workplace
While it is helpful to know what other major businesses are doing, each company is unique and might require different strategies to properly come back to work. With the addition of the new safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID, it is important to reevaluate old procedures to determine if and how they are influenced by the introduction of new protocols.
- Will masks inhibit employee communication to the point of someone’s safety being compromised?
- Will plastic barriers affect evacuation routes in the event of an emergency?
Depending on the industry, the answers to these questions may change. It is important to draw advice not only from security professionals, but also public health experts who can identify hazardous instances.
4. Plan for the Future
One thing the pandemic taught the world is that there is no such thing as being too prepared. In December, nobody in the U.S. expected the virus we heard about in China to cause so much damage here and all over the world. Businesses should be creating plans now to continue operations in the event of possibly threatening scenarios. For example:
- How do we continue operations if there is a second wave, or a mandatory quarantine during flu season?
- How do we respond if one of our employees or customers gets sick on our watch?
Similarly, businesses and organizations thrive off bringing communities together. Many businesses hold workplace community service projects or a festival/special event for their customers. Holding these events will require diligent planning to protect everyone in attendance, and winning companies will find a way to continue these events despite the circumstances.