Hope has been on the horizon for a “return to normal” as governments are loosening restrictions and stay-at-home orders. However, as offices open back up in coming months, it is important to keep in mind that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. Many well-studied trends in infectious diseases, like the fact that cases wane in warmer months, have not yet proven to be true of COVID-19.
Considering how much we do not know about COVID-19, health experts are urging the public not to throw caution to the wind and suggest we continue to maintain the same level of precautions. Here are a few tips for safe workplaces.
Create a specific return-to-workplace plan. This may include instructions for employees to:
- Perform a daily health self-assessment screening before entering the office.
- Follow instructions for high-traffic areas such as elevators and lobbies, and use the stairs whenever feasible.
- Wear a face covering when in common areas like lobbies, lunch rooms, break rooms and printer rooms.
- Adhere to signage and space capacities in common areas.
- Conduct virtual meetings when possible.
- Provide for social distancing for in-person meetings, limited to 10 people or less.
- Limit external visitors to essential guests only.
- Follow structured walking paths to support social distancing.
- Frequently wash hands thoroughly and clean surface areas of workstations.
- Stay home if sick and report to management any contact with known COVID-19 patients.
Examine the way the office is arranged and identify the places where workers could be exposed to COVID-19. Employers should rearrange work spaces to allow for six feet of distance between coworkers. Enhanced cleaning processes should include all offices, conference rooms, restrooms, elevators, stairwells, door handles and more. Bottles of hand sanitizer should be placed around the office. It’s hard to mandate hand washing, but sometimes all it takes is a pump bottle of sanitizer placed within sight to remind someone to disinfect.
Company and team leaders should follow lenient sick day and work-from-home policies. If there are strict consequences for taking too many sick days, consider softening those rules. A more lenient policy will make an employee’s decision to stay home a little easier, thereby protecting coworkers from possible exposure to the virus.
If someone in the office does become sick, they should be sent home. Instead of cleaning their workspace immediately, leave it untouched for 24 hours to allow any active germs to die before cleaning and disinfecting it. This will minimize the potential of other employees being infected.
Practice good hygiene at home and in your community, too – not just at the office. Besides wearing a mask, washing your hands and staying six feet away from others, follow these additional tips for avoiding the spread of germs:
- Run errands at times during the day when fewer people are out, usually mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
- Before and after refilling your gas tank, wipe down the buttons at the pump and the pump handle.
- Disinfect your phone frequently, especially after returning to your home.
Remember, until a vaccine is found, COVID-19 will always be a looming threat wherever large groups of people gather. The reopening of offices and non-essential stores may have cast a glimmer of hope on a return to normalcy, but it is important for the public to continue to do what they can to slow the curve.
For more information, visit the QualChoice website to learn how you can make healthier choices this summer.
Dr. Lubna Maruf, M.D., is the Medical Director at QualChoice Health Insurance in Little Rock.