It’s never a straightforward path. As we dwell into these times when COVID-19 vaccines have been made available, the journey to free ourselves of the virus has been met with a lot of back and forth.
Already Dr Fauci, America’s foremost expert on the pandemic, has recommended schoolchildren to be vaccinated. But even with the delta variant rearing its ugly head, a lot of resistance has been made by parents who simply don’t want their children wearing masks, sparking a nationwide debate.
As a small business owner, it’s your job to prepare should you consider reopening your office. Take note that while many states have reopened their economies as evident in the recent reopening of restaurants and bars in California, it’s still your call. You have to weigh things out if it would be beneficial for your workers to report to work in-office.
The biggest consideration, of course, is your employees. To note, the delta variant is causing a lot of stir these days as infections rise once again. If your business would still be thriving even when your employees are working remotely, then reporting in-office may be out of the question for now.
However, should you decide to make them report back to the office, then you need to ready the workplace. It’s hard to crush all those fears about the virus which have harassed them for some time in an instant. But you can make certain adjustments so reporting in-office sounds enticing. Listed below are ways to do just that.
Make the Experience Count
These days, nobody wants to report to the office just because you want them to. With thousands of deaths attributed to the virus, people don’t want to risk things and be played around. They will expect you to want them in-office for a purpose.
So beforehand, be specific about why they should be reporting. Let them know what are specific duties they’d have to do from the office that they can’t do remotely. Is there a need to collaborate with other teams in person?
Additionally, if they’re working remotely, make sure they’re also taken care of. For one, you should talk to HR so those working remotely can feel working in-office too.
So whether they’re working remotely or in-office, they should feel the company culture is taking care of them. Make sure they connect with a team and meet colleagues.
Mind Employee Wellness Programs
Again, it’s all about being taken care of. It’s what the legendary author Stephen Covey said about P/PC balance. The “Seven Habits” business leader details that to have productivity, we must take care of our production capacity: our workers.
One of the things that the pandemic has highlighted is the importance of health. As such, you should invest in a sterling employee wellness program.
To start, provide training and workshops that focus on wellness. Build a support community that employees can rely upon when they start to feel mental issues are hounding them.
Additionally, you may want to encourage vaccination against the virus in the workplace. Far too often, many workers may have apprehensions about getting inoculated. In this regard, forming a support team to discuss how vaccines help the business and everyone can be a good first step.
Emphasizing how these drugs pass the FDA standards is wise. To note, any drug to be approved fit for human consumption goes through thorough testing. A good example here is the in vitro drug absorption test that gauges how easily a drug in the making can be absorbed by the human body.
Set Clear Policies
There’s going to be chaos if you’re going to invite every employee to report back to work all at once. Indeed, people are still worried about being sick. Even with the vaccine in place, the trauma of being infected cannot easily be erased.
All this is even aggravated by the fact that a slew of fully vaccinated people has been infected by the delta variant. That can certainly raise fears.
So a good way for you to go about that is to require vaccines in the workplace. That is a possibility. Workers would feel reassured to know everyone they work with is vaccinated.
Also, you can meet your employees halfway. And that is to let workers report gradually. Start with a small number. Then see how things fit. When it’s all manageable, you can then increase the number.
The important thing is you set clear-cut policies. With specific guidelines, easing back would be a cinch. As you go along, don’t be afraid to adjust these policies. Above and beyond, it’s the welfare of your people that matters most.
