2020 has been a year filled with uncertainty. With some people hoping to return to business as usual there is a sense of more normalcy than there was at the beginning of the pandemic. As more and more businesses, schools, and other institutions reopen it is imperative to continue to operate safely. Here are several ways to ensure your company is being safe amid increasing normalcy.
When taking steps forward towards normalcy, be sure to follow the guidelines of your local health department. Most local health departments have laid out clear reopening and safety guidelines. These include information regarding allowed capacities, distancing guidelines, mask guidelines and various other requirements. This information will lay out ways to help keep your employees and customers safe.
It also may be prudent to regularly remind employees about health and safety precautions. It is also important to continue politely reminding customers about the safety precautions your business has in place. With increasing normalcy it is possible to forget that we are still in a pandemic and there are safety precautions we should be taking. Take the time to have regular conversations with your employees about the importance of staying on top of guidelines. Simply because things might look a bit like they are returning to normal, doesn’t mean we need to stop taking any precautions.
In an effort to promote safety, be prepared with pre-packaged foods, MREs, and water. This allows you to minimize contact between employees and customers, while still making sure everyone stays fed and hydrated. If your company was used to having a snack available in the customer waiting area, offer individually sized prepackaged food and beverages. Pre-packaged options can also reduce the number of people arriving on-site with fresh food deliveries. Additionally, having pre-packaged food and drink options available leaves you prepared in case of emergency.
Again, even though things are often appearing more normal than they have in a while, if employees are able to work from home, it may be prudent to have them continue doing so. Having employees continue to work from home helps minimize the risk factors involved with being in close contact with other people. If employees are not able to work from home, take time to consider what measures you can adopt to help people socially distance as needed.
There are some areas with relatively low rates of COVID and other areas that are hot spots. With this variance, some areas are returning to seemingly normal everyday conditions. It is important to keep these tips in mind to ensure your company is being safe amid increasing normalcy.