Return to Work Post Covid-19: What Business Should Know

Remote working became the norm during covid-19 as businesses shut down their working places, including all offices. This brought changes in working environments, workers' productivity, and output. For some companies, this was beneficial to their overall performance, and allowing employees to work from home caused an increase in the quality of the work done. This also allowed the business to save a large amount of money on office supplies and rental expenses. In turn, the workers were also able to save money as they did not have to spend on commuting or office attire.

Alternatively, working from home was not the best option for all businesses. It was an immensely isolating experience for some workers as they could not communicate with their coworkers in person. The lack of a precise schedule resulted in the inability to meet deadlines and work effectively, and most workers reported a feeling of demotivation and general laziness. As it is obvious, this resulted in a loss of productivity, and the business suffered. Recently, lockdowns on most locations have been lifted, and businesses are instructing workers to go back to work after covid. This can be quite challenging for some workers, considering that most of them have been working from home for over a year. It requires businesses to prepare a back-to-work training section for employees. 

Preparing Yourself Mentally

It may not seem like much of a struggle to change your workplace, especially if you are doing the same type of work from both homes and in an office. However, it can take some time to adjust to the differences, as working from home is an entirely different experience. Pay close attention to your emotional state when you are returning to work, and remind yourself that there will be obstacles, but there will also be benefits of the situation. Buy a graphene face mask to protect your health at the office.

Prepare a plan about how you can effectively balance your work and home life. When working from home, employees often find that the boundaries between work and personal life are blurred, and they do not seem to be separate anymore. To regain the distinction, set rules for yourself so your personal life does not interrupt your productivity. It is best to be prepared for any obstacles you may find, so it is better to accept that you will face undesirable challenges. These include discomfort in your office space and feeling demotivated now that you are returning to work post quarantine. 

Figure Out An Effective Scheme For Workplace Safety

Although the pandemic restrictions are more flexible now, it should not be forgotten that there is still a major health risk with opening offices. It was not allowed or considered wrongful to demand a medical checkup of an employee or a health report in the past. However, now that employees are returning to work post-covid-19, these are mandatory for running businesses and must be seen to. If you come upon your employees' health reports, you must keep the information confidential and protect their privacy.

Your company should be allowed to screen employees upon entrance to the office premises. In addition to this, employees should be required to wear a graphene antiviral mask over their mouth and nose at all times, with no exceptions. There should also be a strict policy of social distancing once employees return to work post quarantine. This can be implemented in various ways. You can either station working desks about six feet apart from each other, or there can be glass screens between each workers' desk.

Moreover, make sure to clean the working places thoroughly before closing down. You can also refer to your employees for suggestions on which policies will make them feel safer and more comfortable returning to work post-covid-19. Hold meetings where you discuss the safety measures of the workplace.

Keep At Least 1 Remote Working Weekday

It is important to note that not every employee will increase work productivity after Go back to work after quarantine. Some may have been suited to remote working, and it will take a few months before they can adjust to office-based working again. As the owner, understanding your employees' mental healths can bring significant changes to the business. It is also important to support their physical health as well like investing in a standing desk for their workplace. Keep a few days of the week dedicated to remote working for all or a selected few employees. This means you can exclude the employees who need to be physically present to work and make the rest work from home. To figure out which employees may need such a policy, hold regular meetings and ask them questions personally. 

Is There A Chance Businesses Might Shift Back to Remote Working?

This question will be answered differently for each business, as some have greatly suffered from remote working, while others have thrived. If you own a retail business that involves direct interaction with customers, it will be beneficial for you to stick to traditional working. Given that the CDC return to work guidelines and SOPs are followed when businesses return to work post-covid-19, it should be easy enough to open your workplaces again.

Can You Send Employees Home if They Show Covid-19 Symptoms?

It may seem counterproductive to send employees home, especially when offices have not been opened that long. However, you are well within the safety guidelines if you allow employees to leave those show symptoms of covid-19. These employees will be entitled to a few hours or a day's leave, but this cost will seem worth it when the safety of your workplace is maintained. 

Can Businesses Lay Off Workers Once Workplaces Are Reopened?

Before reopening your offices and going back to work after quarantine, you may notice that a few positions seem unnecessary. You also need to conduct return to work survey questions to ask if they want to come back or not. To cut costs on the business, you are within your rights to lay off those employees while also giving them a few weeks' notices. Alternatively, you can appoint these employees to different positions in the company once the need arises.