A new variant is now all over the US, and the country is once again at risk of a potential lockdown. Unfortunately, this places many businesses at risk, especially those that have only re-opened this year. If you think your office is at risk of potential infections, this article will help you decrease those chances.
The delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is now infecting more people in the US. As a result, people are now urged to wear masks again as cases of infection have once again reached record highs since last year. As a result, many businesses are in fear, knowing that they are once again vulnerable to closing and other adverse factors that may affect business operations. Thankfully, there are ways you can reduce the chances of infections in your office. Here are some ways you can do that.
Vaccinations
First, we must talk about vaccinations. It’s undeniable that the employees most vulnerable to the Delta variant are those who haven’t gotten vaccinated. They are also the ones most likely to spread it in your office. The most effective way to reduce the chances of infections is to get your employees vaccinated. You can give potential rewards to those who get vaccinated, as many establishments are now offering the same rewards.
Open Floor Plan
This floor plan is a unique trend in the office world. It’s even gotten more traction because of the pandemic. Essentially, this plan removes partition walls from your office to favor more space and flexibility for people to go around. The more space you have in your office, the more you can practice social distancing.
If you plan to implement an open floor plan in your office, you must remove any bulky walls. It’s also recommended that you remove cubicles as well. Fewer cubicles can lead to better communication around your office. It will also lead to better transparency when it comes to working. You can see who is slacking off and working fairly hard now that cubicles aren’t around.
Overall, an open floor plan is recommended for offices planning to work with full capacity during this pandemic. This will give you enough space to practice social distancing while increasing your communication capabilities.
Lessen Seats Per Rooms or Floors
If it can’t be avoided and you can’t implement a general open floor plan in your office, you’ll have to reduce the capacity of each room and floor. This will help implement social distancing and also leave more space for each team working in your company.
The seats, tables, and cubicles you have in your office can be lead to a cramped workplace. However, by reducing capacity in each room and moving others to empty rooms, you can have more space for each employee. If your office space is too small for that, consider making a move to a bigger office space. It’s a better option than working in a cramped office space that may leave more chances for infection.
More Water Stations
Hydration is a big part of a healthy life, and dehydrated employees are more likely to get sick in the office. Furthermore, water stations tend to be crowded in every office space, leading to more infections. Therefore, you need to reduce that crowd by having more of them in your office.
Water stations don’t necessarily have to be near the pantry. Make sure you have one on every corner so that you can reduce people waiting in line to get their refill of water. Also, urge employees to bring their own cups or jugs. This will help reduce any point of contact that your employees might have in the office.
Get Cleaning Services Every Week
Cleaning services are important for your office to be presentable to customers and investors. It has become even more crucial this year, as most professional office cleaning services are now offering disinfection as part of their cleaning package. This will help kill any virus that might have been living in your employees’ desks. It will also proactively keep surfaces clean from the virus.
Better HVAC Systems
A robust air filter might not help kill the virus, but it can certainly help your employees breathe in safer and cleaner air. As we all know, air that carries all sorts of pollutants can lead to allergic reactions. These allergic reactions can lead to coughing and sneezing, both ways that the virus can infect others. In addition, if someone in your office has the virus but is asymptomatic, they can spread the virus this way. So ensure that you have better HVAC systems in your workplace to stop this from happening.
COVID-19 has stopped many businesses from functioning optimally last year. It has the chance of stopping your operations if a single infection does happen in your office. Prevent that from happening by implementing these changes.
