Many businesses in Australia are now open for business. For many states, it is now back to normal. However, we all know that the virus is still out there. While Australia has managed to flatten the curve, the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is still present in the country so many minimum public health standards are still in place.
For example, social distancing rules are still in place in all states. Due to rising cases in cities like Melbourne, the Melbourne Rail, Tram and Bus Union are pushing to make mask wearing mandatory to protect their members. Since coronavirus is still present in the country, how do you reopen your business safely without compromising the health of your employees?
How To Reopen & Stay Healthy During The Pandemic
Here are some tips.
Safety First
Safety should always be the first priority for businesses. While businesses are now essentially back to normal, work at home policy should still be an option for employees. Remote working is nothing new and is a good way to combat spread of the virus. If you have employees who prefer to work at home during the pandemic, it is better to have this option not only to keep them happy but also to keep them safe.
In this day and age, an overabundance of caution is welcome. For example, businesses should require employees to stay home if they are feeling fatigued, have covid-19 symptoms like cough, cold, diarrhoea and flu, temperature checks should also be conducted before entering the work place. Most of all, employees should practice proper hygiene all the time. Hand washing, proper cough and sneezing etiquette as well as having hand sanitizers all over the office should be the norm.
This kind of basic safety procedures at work can reduce transmission, separate sick employees and increase Covid-19 awareness among them. Above all, always follow safety guidelines issued by government health agencies.
Maintain A Healthy Work Environment
It’s not just businessmen and employees that need to adapt to Covid-19. Your business also needs to adapt in order to stop the spread of disease. For example, businessmen should consider improving the ventilation system of their offices or work place. There should also be a plan for regular disinfection especially for high-touch areas such as door knobs, counters, tables and computer equipment.
Reduce face-to-face meetings as much as possible. Consider barring unnecessary work travel too. Not only will this limit the exposure of your employees, it will also limit the exposure of your whole team and their families.
Since Covid-19 cases are on the rise in some cities and states in the country, businesses should also consider a Plan B and address how it will operate should employee absenteeism due to employees falling sick because of it. This is very important especially for businesses like factories and other businesses that rely heavily on physical labor.
Wrap Up
The opening of businesses is necessary in order to restart the economy. This is why businesses should find a way to balance employee health safety and profits. Covid-19 is likely to stick around for a while, what with the rise in cases not just in Australia but also around the world. Finding ways to stop the spread and contain the disease should always be a priority with businesses locally and internationally.
