If there is one thing that is consistent about the decision-making process and steps that will be taken by companies attempting to re-open their offices as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, it is that there is no consistency. Companies will have to weigh dozens of different variables and make their own determinations about how soon or how long to wait before telling employees it’s time to put pants on and go back to work. One of the most difficult tasks may be managing the anxiety and uncertainty of employees who are skittish about going back out in public and who may be more productive working from home.
To help, here are a number of resources that offer tips and guidance for companies of all shapes and sizes as they navigate these uncharted waters.
I’m going to toot my own horn first and talk about a webinar I hosted yesterday on this topic. The webinar featured a name that many people in the industry will recognize — Leslie Bender from BCA Financial Services — and two names they might not — Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck and Jennifer Frisk. Dr. Hasbrouck is a public health expert and Frisk is a real estate expert and the three of them combined to offer an incredibly comprehensive analysis of what is needed for companies to re-open their offices.
For anyone who worked in an office before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and who one day may be asked to return to that office, the webinar should be used as a blueprint for how to accomplish that task in the safest way possible.
As well, different units of the federal government are now releasing guidelines and guidance and they, too, offer important information:
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released guidance on preparing workplaces for re-opening.
- The Centers for Disease Control has released a number of documents, including a Workplace Decision Tool, Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting, Guidance for Businesses and Employers, and How to Prepare Your Small Business for The Effects of COVID-19.
Bender also suggested reviewing the re-opening plans that companies have released, such as those from Ford, Kroger, and Tesla
