Originally published on timebusinessnews.com
The obligatory safety precautions required in response to the coronavirus turned work lifestyles upside-down. Morning drives to work have become Zoom meetings in pajama bottoms. Though the adaptation was necessary, businesses and employees alike are ready to get back to the office. With the global pandemic still filling our news stations, how can employers protect workers’ health?
Adam Ferrari, a petroleum engineer and entrepreneur knows how crucial his role is to protect employees against coronavirus at work. As society slowly moves back to the office norm, Ferrari extends ten steps to aid in ensuring employee safety.
Step #1: Encourage staying at home
While some employees cannot wait to get back into the office, there is still a lot of fear regarding the coronavirus. Encourage remote work for those who do not yet feel comfortable switching back to office life.
Step #2: Monitor employee symptoms
Strictly enforce stay-at-home order for returning employees who feel under the weather or have been around sick people.
Step #3: Disinfect daily
Avoid a contaminated workplace by hiring services to disinfect the office as frequently as possible. Smaller companies can implement an end-of-the-day office scrub down with the help of employees.
Step #4: Limit face-to-face meetings
Require employees to keep face-to-face meetings at a minimum. Continuing to take advantage of technology tools such as virtual meetings is still a good idea to utilize in the office for now.
Step #5: Minimize travel
Avoid, if possible, travel and large crowded areas. Company owners do not want to be held responsible for sending employees on a business trip that could end up exposing them to viral infection.
Step #6: Practice necessary food hygiene
There’s nothing better than free lunch in the office. Unfortunately, social gatherings and sharing food currently come with risks. Support local restaurants when they need it the most by taking individual lunch orders from employees and having them eat at their desks.
Step #7: Provide sanitary stations
Make sure there are plenty of hand-washing and sanitizer stations that are easily accessible throughout the office. Try to put them near doors and other high-traffic areas.
Step #8: Encourage a no-handshake policy
Limit human-to-human contact between employees as they return to their space in the office by enforcing a no-handshake policy. Consider lightening the workplace mood by endorsing air-fives (or high-fives done in the air at a distance).
Step #9: Practice clear communication
Clear communication in regards to new policies and safety precautions is a must. Strive to make everyone in the workplace feel as if they are on the same page, moving forward together.
Step #10: Consider providing therapy for adaptation to the ‘new norm’
Society is doing its best to instill safety while adjusting back to life before the pandemic. Still, the coronavirus inevitably significantly altered the norm. Take employees’ mental health into account during this transition to new office functions and consider providing free optional therapy sessions.
About Adam Ferrari
Adam Ferrari is a successful petroleum engineer and is the founder of a private oil and gas company, Ferrari Energy. His various roles in the oil and gas industry inspired him to learn more about property rights and the inner workings of petroleum exploration and extraction. After gaining expertise in the energy sector, Adam obtained knowledge of the financial industry through his time at an investment banking firm. He then pivoted to bootstrapping his own business, Ferrari Energy, from the ground up as he blended his knowledge of energy and finance together.