The continuous threat of coronavirus or COVID-19 has caused many companies across the United States to adapt methods that allow employees to work from home. However, not all essential businesses that remain open are able to extend work from home opportunities to their employees. Therefore, managing production expectations and developing new strategies to protect employees and the company must be established during required social distancing. Bryant Consultants, a small business consulting firm, is sharing what essential businesses can do to keep employees safe, and business rolling, when your employees can’t work from home.
Update and Enforce Sanitary Health Practices
The main priority a company can enforce is personal hygiene standards to aid in preventing the spread of germs while at work. Mandating employees to follow the CDC guidelines, protects your workforce and customers alike. In addition to employees washing their hands, covering their nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing, sanitizing surfaces with EPA-approved disinfectants, and employees not touching their face, companies could offer hand sanitizer to employees and customers if soap and water are not readily available. Let your employees know that they should not come to work if they have symptoms of COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who is sick or that has received a positive coronavirus test.
Encourage Social Distancing
Social distancing is critical in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. By avoiding handshakes, you reduce the potential of spreading the virus. Some companies have instituted elbow bumps, small bows, or waving hello to employees or customers to acknowledge their presence. Consider teleconferences or virtual meetings, instead of having everyone gather in a conference room (unless each person can maintain six feet distance). Limit travel as much as possible. In some industries where travel is necessary, those who are elderly or have underlying health conditions need to restrict their travel plans to protect themselves and their families. At the office, spread desks and cubicles out so that everyone maintains at least six feet apart. If there is not enough room to do this, consider an alternate schedule where half of your employees come into the office one day, and the other half the next. Be sure to properly disinfect all surfaces prior to the next shift arriving.
Offer Employees Higher Pay or Bonuses
Although working from home may not be an option for some employees, companies have been offering a higher rate of pay to those employees who have no choice in being physically present at their job. The extra pay does not remove the risk of contracting COVID-19, but it does help your employees feel appreciated during such an unstable time. Also, offering a hazard bonus could help employees financially if they become infected and need time off work. Money might be tight right now, but think of these bonuses and incentives as an investment in your employees. This costs less in the long run than it does to rehire new employees later on, which could cost one to three times as much!
Small Business Consulting
As the cases of confirmed coronavirus continue to rise, protecting your employees becomes increasingly important if they are unable to work from home. As a business owner, maintaining constant communication with your employees about work expectations and their health status is critical to the success of your business. If you need assistance with keeping your business functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, feel free to contact our small business consultants, Bryant Consultants. Call us at (877) 768-4799 or visit our website to schedule a consultation today. We are committed to helping you maintain a successful business during these unprecedented times.
