Balancing safety and a return to normalcy is a priority for all as more businesses reopen during the Coronavirus pandemic. There are many tools and tactics that businesses can utilize to help keep everyone safe. Here are BOLT strategies you can use to help keep your company healthy, along with links to help jumpstart your own research.
Social distancing:
Social distancing can be tricky to implement but is an important factor for safety. If you are a business where lots of people rotate through your doors every day, do your best to space out seating areas, provide guidance for properly distanced lines and limit amount of people allowed in your establishment at one time. If your workplace is a more stationary one, like an office, rearrange your layout to allow for proper social distancing between employees. This is an article giving social distancing guidelines and information for restaurants, and this is another for offices. Could even be a fun time to try out new furniture arrangements!
Face Masks:
Face masks are accepted as the best way to protect yourself and others from Coronavirus when out in public. When in situations where appropriate social distancing is not possible face masks should be utilized by all. Businesses should consider implementing mandatory mask rules in your establishment to help keep your staff and customers safe. Check out these articles from the Center for Disease Control on the proper way to wear a face mask and the best masks to wear for protection.
Plexiglass Shields:
Transparent plexiglass partitions, also called sneeze guards, can help keep you and your staff safe in situations where social distancing is not possible. They can be a great tool for checkout counters or even just dividing desk space if rearranging the office is too difficult. Here is an online retailer that sells plexiglass dividers for various settings.
Remote Collaboration Tools:
Most of us have become far more familiar with working from home than we ever anticipated. Luckily, there are great computer programs that exist to help make remote work as collaborative as possible. Google docs and slides are free online programs that allow multiple people to work on the same document or spreadsheet simultaneously. Another important tool for many companies right now is remote video conferencing software. There are a ton of options and it may be confusing trying to figure out which is best for your business. This article from TechRadar explains the pros and cons of each platform to help inform your decision. One of our clients recently had success with a remote administrative assistant. Hiring is still possible with the right software tools.
We hope this article was informative to you as you and your business continue to navigate the challenges of operating during a pandemic. If we can help you in any way during this time, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (707) 939-2800.