Considerations and policies for transition back to the workplace
For the past few months, many of us have adjusted to working remotely. And now that states are beginning to slowly reopen, the question of how and when to transition back to the workplace has become top of mind. “The Way Forward” presents a very complex, multidimensional challenge.
In order to balance the health of the workforce with the safe operations of the business, employers must consider a multitude of factors. To help our clients, we’ve begun to create a framework for considerations we have worked through ourselves. The infographic below shows a breakdown of three main areas of focus: community, people and workplace.
- Community. The community context in which every employer operates is different. Companies will need to keep a close eye on state and city guidelines and restrictions, the number of infections transmissions rate in their community and the availability of testing.
- People. Employers will also need to consider the unique circumstances of their population. There likely will not be a one-size-fits-all approach. Employers will need to consider, for example, how their people commute to work (do they take public transportation or drive?), the levels of health risk among their people, family situations and more.
- Workplace. Special consideration will need to be given to the environment to which the employees will return, and there will need to be safety controls and protocols in place including: spacing out of seating, social distancing, appropriate use of meeting rooms and other common areas, potential protocols around temperature checking and more.
As you consider what it looks like to reopen your office, download a PDF of the infographic to help yourself keep a holistic picture in mind. We hope this helps to help simplify the process of safely returning to your workplace.
