COVID-19 is causing havoc amongst many businesses. You are at risk, your employees are at risk, your customers and your livelihood are all at risk from either illness, death, or bankruptcy. It’s a terrible time to be in, and if you do need to keep your doors open then you will want to follow these steps to make your office safer and your business more viable during these trying times:
Professionally Disinfect Your Office
If any of your employees have tested positive for COVID-19 then the best way forward is to send everyone home until they too can be tested and bring in professional cleaners. Your everyday office cleaners won’t do, however. You will need those familiar with cleaning and disinfecting infectious diseases, like ECS Emergency Cleaning Solutions. Any cleaning company that handles crime scene clean-ups and similar cases will have the necessary tools to professionally clean your office and remove the threat of COVID-19.
Once all of your employees have been tested, you can begin to allow those in the clear to return to work. There are many points of contact through which they could contract the virus, so unless it is absolutely necessary, it is best to find a way to allow your employees to work remotely.
Find New Ways to Allow for Remote Working
Not every job can be done from home, but with the power of personal computers and cloud computing, many can be. For the best results, however, it is best not to time your employees so that they work the full eight hours. Instead, assign tasks that you want to be completed and that can be worked on throughout the day at their leisure, but that must be done by the time you sign on for work the next day. This will give your employees more flexibility and accountability, and you can stay on top of targets.
Update Your Office Design
Social distancing can still be practiced in your office, especially if you are working with the skeleton staff that you absolutely need in-office during this time.
Some ideas to help protect your workers (and your business) include:
- Relocate workers so that they are at least two desk spaces apart.
- Stagger lunch breaks so that you reduce the risk of infection and everyone can enjoy a peaceful lunch
- Offer medical masks, anti-bacterial gel, anti-bacterial soap, and disinfectant spray to each employee. Your employees should work to disinfect each area before they leave. This applies both to the break room and to their desk.
Find New Ways for Digital Business
This is the perfect time to expand your business model if you don’t already offer a digital component. This includes everything from a delivery service to get your products to your customers, to new digital services like instructional webinars. Alternatively, you can also use your employees’ own talents to bring in extra income and open up a consultancy service so that you can connect B2B during the virus. This can be as small as offering business help for a small fee if you did well as a small business.
In short, there are many different ways that you can keep your business open by expanding your business offerings. Not all of them will work, but this can be a new opportunity for your company to adopt a more digital approach.
