The U.S. is gradually opening up once more, with Alaska and Wisconsin lifting restrictions entirely and the 48 other states easing restrictions to varying degrees.
This is both good and bad news, as people can start to go back towards a sense of normality but the threat of the virus is still present, especially in crowded places like the workplace. If you are heading back to work or are a business owner looking to reopen soon here are five key points to consider.
For America to successfully and safely reopen, businesses and community leaders are going to need to work together. Fortunately, many states are already forming problem-solving networks to address these issues and make going back to work safer. The National Governors Association has created a “knowledge-sharing exchange for…
..coronavirus action” that is leading to collaborations between the federal government, state officials, and entrepreneurs. Indeed, today’s business leaders will need to step up and put the modern practices that are now being championed at every level of training into action.
As the above knowledge sharing shows, education will be the foundation of reopening business with higher educational institutions now even looking to start teaching cultural competence to better prepare for outcomes such as a pandemic. While higher education around business leadership is adapting to the current situation there are still many principles that leaders learned during their training that can be applied to the businesses that are reopening.
Those who studied management and leadership at a degree level are taught key concepts such as interpersonal management skills, human resource management and leadership theory that are fully adaptable to this current situation. The scope of this education has ensured that graduates with these skills can be found across all businesses from manufacturing and production facilities to retail settings. This is why they are best primed to help federal and state officials create back-to-business protocols that benefit the consumers, employees and business owners.
These leaders can also pass their areas of expertise to each other and to their employees to work together in order to reopen. For this reopening of American business to work, every level of the workforce will need to come together to ensure the best practices are being implemented.
The White House has released guidelines regarding the reopening of businesses and states have their own individual guidelines for reopening, as do local communities.
All levels of the workforce need to read these guidelines and make sure they understand all applicable provisions, in regard to reopening a business or working in this new environment. That’s because the guidelines differ from one business industry to another and from location to location (gyms and salons, for instance, have different requirements for reopening as opposed to supermarkets and pet stores). You’ll need to peruse directives from the OSHA and the CDC as well, as they may outline specific steps you need to take as an owner and employee
It is imperative that you maintain a consistent and frequent cleaning and disinfecting schedule — especially for surfaces that are commonly touched.
Normal routine cleaning with soap and water already lowers the risk of spreading the virus. In order to be extra safe, also use disinfection products, as disinfectants kill most germs on surfaces, thereby lowering the risk of contamination. In this case, it’s best practice to use EPA-approved disinfectants. For an alternative, you can use 70 percent alcohol solutions, or make your own disinfectant by adding 1/3 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. If you are returning to work and your business does not have an adequate cleaning protocol in place or the appropriate personal protection equipment you must take it up with the management and consider your legal options.
Like it or not, everyone needs to be screened before they return to their place of work to ensure they are fit to work and properly protected. At a bare minimum, this means wearing a face mask, conducting a temperature check and washing and disinfecting hands before entering. This screening may be inconvenient, but it’s necessary lest you fall ill.
This is exactly what happened to Amazon, which recently had to close several warehouses due to employees contracting the virus. The aforementioned procedures must apply to all levels of employees, along with some form of virus testing if possible. As a business owner, it is your job to ensure that this is happening, and as an employee you must make sure that you follow the new screening procedures.
Technology has proven vital in this pandemic, with countries utilizing it for contact tracing and people using it to find information and stay connected with one another. If you are not comfortable with installing an app on your phone, ensure that the business you work for has the latest technology installed to provide better awareness and protection against the virus
Companies should also be helping their employees and customers to reduce contact as much as possible through technology. For instance, contactless payment, such Apple Pay, and Google Pay, should now become the norm when dealing with a business or direct to customer purchase transactions. Today’s smartphones make this transition very easy and the public is already following this trend, with 27 percent of businesses seeing more customers using tech like contactless payment. This is the direction businesses must take.
With the US looking to reopen soon, business owners and employees need to take the precautions and steps to ensure they reopen safely. As this article shows it is very possible to do so as long as the right practices are being followed.
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