We are almost at the one-year mark of living through this pandemic… let that sink in. Wow!!!
I am sure, like us, that around this time last year, you were watching the news and were certain that the coronavirus would be contained to foreign borders and never find its way into the United States. Never in our lives have any of us seen anything even remotely similar to what the past year has looked like, so how could have we anticipated where we are today?
The good news is that the panic of the unknowns is almost over. Since December, the United States has approved two vaccines that are over 90% effective with others well on their way in the approval process. In Massachusetts, we are currently in Phase 2 which will expand into March. So far, clinical and non-clinical workers doing COVID-19 care, first responders, home-based health care workers, workers of long-term care facilities and similar others, and those 75 and older are all eligible for the vaccine; plus, it looks like the next plateau of age 65 has just begun.
By now, I’m sure you know at least a few people who have received their first dose (or maybe both doses) of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Sure, still lots of concerns over logistics, but the fact remains that in less than 12 months, our county had led the world and produced two FDA approved vaccines.
According to mass.gov, vaccines will be available to the general public as early as April, and already we are hearing of distribution plans from the large chain pharmacies.
So, what does this mean for your business?
First, we will rapidly move into the new “new normal” of going back into the office, eating at restaurants, working out at our gyms, and being able to visit friends and family all across the country. We were just not meant to work from home and remain six feet apart from our peers for the rest of our lives.
Second, even though it will take some time before we can take our masks off and live the way we did just a year ago, it will be in the near future that employers who switched to remote formats will be inviting their teams back into the office. According to a report by The Conference Board, 40% of employers who went remote are planning on switching back to, at least partially, an in-person format by the end of March. We are sure your business is either in the 40% that plan to go back by March or have been debating what to do in terms of policies and procedures of the return to the office.
Now is the time to fully develop those plans and procedures more in order to be ahead of the curve and fully able to welcome your employees back. There are many things to think about, such as:
- Flexible schedules for those who are not yet comfortable with coming back in person
- Health screening protocols
- Workplace space re-organization to maintain social distancing guidelines
- Vaccination information and administration
- …and, of course, the various related legal issues related to these changes
Seems like a hefty list, doesn’t it? We know there are a million things as a senior manager that you’re are thinking about, and at Evans Brothers Consulting, we’re there to assist in this process through our expertise in compliance and safety.
Let us take some of the weight and get your business ready to welcome those who matter most to you — your team.
Email or call us today to set up a short, no cost, preliminary discussion.
No one knows Boston like the Evans Brothers.