This pandemic has changed so much of the way we live and work, this omnipresent global health threat has also, understandably, created excessively high levels of anxiety. After the lockdowns lifted and we were able to return to the office, many employees are experiencing an unsettling amount of panic and anxiety at the thought of sharing a working space again. Reduce your employees’ anxiety levels by following these 5 easy steps:
- Space Out Employees
Keep your employees calm by introducing large spaces between them by rearranging the layout of their desks; ideally, you should implement a distance of 6 feet in between each workstation. If your office is an open plan layout and you don’t have enough available space to properly distance your employees you should consider installing Perspex screens on their desks.
- Keep The Office Clean
The easiest way to help your employees feel at ease about being back in the office is to make sure that it is regularly cleaned by professionals like twinkleclean.co. Cleaning the office regularly will significantly reduce the risks associated with sharing an office space with their colleagues. If your area is experiencing an influx of confirmed cases then you can take it one step further by fogging the office at the end of each day. To be extra safe, have high-touch areas like door handles, cleaned and sanitised multiple times a day.
- Get Rid Of The Water Cooler
Before the pandemic, the water cooler was a great spot for your employees to hydrate and bond at the same time – sadly, those days are over for the foreseeable future. Get rid of the office water cooler and replace it will bottled water for your employees to wet their whistles throughout the day. There are some other safe ways to encourage team-building amongst your employees. Bottled water can be wiped down with a sanitiser if your employees choose to, and they are a safer way to stay hydrated in the office.
- Have Sanitisers Available
By providing ample sanitisers, your employees will be able to sanitise their hands and workstations as often as they want to. Consider supplying each employee with a bottle of sanitiser that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol, this way they will be afforded a sense of security about returning to work. Surface sanitisers and hand wipes are also a great option but make sure you don’t charge your employees for them; it is your duty to keep them safe to the best of your ability.
- Use Paper Towels
Replace hand air dryers with disposable paper towels. Air dryers are a breeding ground for bacteria and germs and can be super spreaders for COVID-19. For the duration of the pandemic, ditch the air dryers or towels (even worse…) for disposable paper towels – these can be bought in bundles or on a roll. Keep a waste bin nearby because you won’t want your employees to flush these down the toilets as they can easily clog up the plumbing and cause more issues down the line.