4 Ways to Protect Office Workers from COVID-19

 While the majority of employees who are able to have been working from home for the best part of a year due to the COVID-19 crisis, there are many reasons why your business might require some staff to be present in the office. And after a long period of working from home, many employees are happy to get back to some sort of normalcy and work from an environment that isn’t the kitchen table or a makeshift home office. However, the threat of spreading COVID-19 is still as real as ever before, so if you require your employees to be present in the office, it’s important to take the following steps to protect their health and wellbeing.

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Allow Flexible Working

Flexible working where employees come into the office on certain days of the week and continue working from home on the other days allows you to restrict the number of employees who are in the office at any one time, therefore reducing the spread of COVID-19 as a result. Rather than having everybody back in the office at once, this can act as a staggered return to work and give employees the chance to readjust after a long period of remote working too.

Sneeze Guards

Most offices were not set up with COVID-19 in mind, and if your office has desks that are close to or next to each other, this could quickly become a risk factor for employees who are coming into the business premises to work. Sneeze guards are clear plexiglass guards that you can use to provide a protective barrier between desks, while still allowing employees to easily communicate with each other. Find out more about sneeze guards and other protective equipment available at sneezeguardez.com.

Mask Wearing

Wherever possible, employees should wear a face mask or another type of face-covering when they are in the workplace. Research has found that masks are effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19 by providing a barrier for droplets that come from the mouth and nose when speaking, coughing, laughing, and sneezing. In some states, asking your employees to wear masks when in the workplace may be mandatory by state law. Employees should wear a mask wherever possible unless they are unable to due to an underlying condition. It is best to continue to allow employees with underlying health conditions to continue working from home for their own safety.

Hand Sanitizer

The past year has seen more sales of hand sanitizer and handwashing soaps and gels than ever before. Keeping your hands clean is still one of the most effective ways to protect against COVID-19 since many infections are caused by a person touching an infected surface and then touching their face. Provide a hand sanitizing station at the entrance of your office for employees to use on their way in and small bottles of hand sanitizer for each employee at their desk. To further reduce the risk of infection, make sure that the office is deep cleaned daily especially in high-touch areas like door handles and light switches.

Most office workers have been able to stay safe by working from home, but in some industries, this hasn’t been possible. If you have employees who are still coming into the office during this pandemic, these are just a few of the most effective safety measures to take.