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Employees are slowly starting to come back into the office as states begin to open up and minimize restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Are you looking for ideas to make your office safe? Digital Air Strike has you covered.
DAS is taking many precautions to make its office safe for everyone. The steps we’re taking can also help your company prepare for the return of your employees.
Digital Air Strike employees have been working from home for the past eight weeks or so to minimize potential exposure to COVID-19. Arizona lifted its stay-at-home order on May 15, so DAS is ready to welcome back its team members into its Scottsdale headquarters on May 18.
“We want everyone in the company to be safe,” said Tanya Budke, vice president of experience management at Digital Air Strike. “We will evaluate the situation daily and make changes as needed to ensure we are following and even exceeding state recommended guidelines so that our team feels good about coming into the office.”
Here are the safety steps your company can take to welcome employees back into the office:
- It’s a good idea to require your employees to wear face masks when walking around the office. Digital Air Strike is providing two DAS-branded face coverings to every employee. These masks are made of cloth material so they’re reusable and can be washed. Consider making your own branded face masks for your employees and your customers.
- The office should be cleaned daily. Sanitizing wipes and liquid hand sanitizer should be available in all common rooms and areas. Sinks should be tested to ensure they have hot water and antibacterial soap.
- Desks and the overall office layout should be rearranged so every employee’s desk is at least six feet away from one another.
- Consider staggered shifts and schedules for employees so not everyone is in the office at once.
- The bathrooms should be limited to only one person at a time, or two people if your bathroom is larger.
- Kitchen areas should also be limited so employees can eat six feet apart. Depending on the size and layout of your kitchen, you could mandate only one person sit at each table, for example. Also consider moving microwaves to opposite ends of the room so there is no need for gathering.
- Lunch breaks can be staggered to limit the number of people on break at the same time. Make sure employees are not congregating inside for breaks. If you have an outdoor patio, make the same precautions so employees can comfortably sit or stand six feet apart. Staff should be encouraged to find an area of the office that is at least six feet away from other team members.
- Sanitation stations should be placed at all office entrances, and employees could be assigned a door to enter or exit to limit exposure.
- Conference rooms should be limited so all employees can sit or stand six feet apart.
- Large department or full-company meetings should not occur in-person. Consider instead having team members join video calls from their desks using headphones to listen.
- Deliveries of any type should not be allowed inside the office. Consider meeting them outside the door or having the delivery person leave the item at the door after they call you. If employees order lunch they should be required to do curbside pickup outside the building.
- If employees are not feeling well they should be required to remain at home and not come into the office.
- Employees with child-care challenges or those deemed high risk should be allowed flexibility to work with human resources on their schedules, including the ability to work from home if needed.
- Employees should be required to sign a document with the company rules to ensure everyone is aware of the rules.
- Signs can be put around the office reminding people to social distance. For example, Digital Air Strike has signs that say: “I need my space… #DASdistancing.”
- Consider buying six-foot long PVC pipes and put them around the office to make it really easy for employees to make sure desks and people are staying the right distance apart. DAS team members noticed that three floor carpet tiles are exactly six feet, so DAS is telling everyone to always walk or stand three floor carpet tiles apart. Your office may have similar carpet tiles.
Make sure you share with your audience on social media what you’re doing to keep your team and your customers safe as well as ways you are supporting your community. For ideas on what and when to post as well as additional COVID-19 related help for your business, download our free Resource Guide at www.digitalairstrike.com/commitment.
