TOW#542 — Going back to work
#StayHome and #WorkFromHome will be ways of life that’ll likely be with us for a long time to come, but what’s more important is that people will slowly begin to return to ‘normality’, i.e. to work.
The consequences of #WorkFromHome will leave a big mark on our lives, but most importantly they should help us be better prepared for the next time, which is likely to be very soon…
Given that we’ll need to slowly return to ‘normality’, we need to start preparing for it:
- Protocol — be sure to create a protocol for how employees should behave when entering and leaving the office. We’ve already done ours, and there are some guidelines on various websites. If you like, we can send you ours too;
- Schedule work arrivals and shifts — many companies, where possible, have implemented a system where colleagues who are in the same office work in shifts so that there’s no contact between them. Of course, this is only where possible, but we need to get back to normal as soon as possible;
- Seating arrangement — if the workplace allows, rearrange the seating in a way that will ensure distancing between employees;
- Working hours — the return should be in stages. The first week they should come for a few hours, the next week a bit more so that after a maximum of three weeks everyone is back to full-time… Of course, those who were only at work a few hours should #WorkFromHome for the rest of the working day, where possible, naturally;
- Sharing information — always have someone who will monitor all the news related to the whole situation and will constantly inform colleagues about the tightening or loosening of measures. You and your company will have to behave and adhere to these measures accordingly;
- Hygiene — during this period, hygiene in the workplace should be at the highest level. But in order for this to happen, you must have the right cleaning products, because you simply can’t do without them!;
- Fear — This is a time when everyone is scared in one way or another for their health, but also for the health of their loved ones, and then there are those who don’t even believe in what’s going on. You need to strike a balance between these two groups in order for work to proceed normally:
o Air out workspaces
o Have longer breaks
o Reduce informal chats (and the unnecessary spread of unnecessary information)
o Deep clean — thoroughly sanitize the entire workspace before all employees return to work and tell them that it’s been disinfected!
As you can see, and there are certainly a million other things that are not listed here, there’s a lot to do before we all return to normal working hours. Therefore, rather than just a few hours, set aside a few days to plan all of it out.
Wishing you success with your return to work,
@kalinbabusku
MACEDONIA-EXPORT Consulting
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