As cities and states across the country continue to progress through the reopening phases, some workplaces will begin to let employees work from the office. Reasonably, employees will be hesitant and nervous about returning to the office and wondering how safe the office truly is. Small business owners will have to take extra health and safety precautions and communicate to their employees that it is a safe environment for everyone.  Here are some tips for maintaining a healthy and safe office: 

Reinspect the workplace. Since the office has been closed for a few months and was occupied at the same capacity it’s imperative that small business owners reinspect the workplace to ensure everything is up to date and working correctly prior to the return of employees: 

• Heating and air ventilation 

• Water systems

• Structural and mechanical systems 

• Stagger work schedules between remote and in office work

​​​​​Prepare for new restrictions and regulations. Due to the COVID-19 virus, a lot has changed with social distancing protocols and capacity guidelines. Although it will be exciting to see coworkers in real life and not just through a Microsoft Teams meeting, it will be important for all employees to follow the new guidelines: 

• Move cubes/desks at least 6 feet apart
• Post social distancing signage and decals around the office (Check out our Print & Marketing Back to Business Signage options)  
• Install plastic protective barriers around each cube/desk 
• Follow the capacity guidelines determine by each state 
• Hire a professional cleaning crew to clean and disinfect each night 
• Limited capacity or shut down shared meeting rooms

Stock up on the right supplies. Make sure you're ready to support healthy hygiene practices.

• Install hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrance/exit and hallways 

• Disinfectant wipes and sprays 

• Install touchless soap dispensers 

Practice new breakroom procedures. Meeting a coworker for a quick coffee break in the breakroom might be a thing of the past. These social distancing protocols need to be implemented in office shared spaces like the breakroom: 

• One person at a time or limited capacity  

• Provide single-use plates/utensils/cups 

• Disinfect after each use of the microwave/coffee maker/fridge  

• Install hand sanitizer dispensers

Creating a healthy and safe environment for your employees is more important than ever. We have created at checklist for small businesses like you to help guide your through your re-opening process. Check it out here. In addition, leverage the CDC guidelines on COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings here.