Gradually, states and cities begin to reopen their businesses, although with reduced capacity in some cases. It's an important time for companies to balance the need to return to business with ongoing concerns surrounding the risk to employee health as well as to the organization's reputation. Brazilian companies can take as examples the lessons learned from the reopenings in Asia and Europe, which are beginning to reopen under strict new regulations, which are likely to remain in effect in the near future.
As you resume your business, consider three steps that can help you keep yourself, your employees, and your customers safe:
1. Review your workplace
O design of open-space offices, which gained popularity over the last decade, was promoted to encourage employee interaction and innovation. Today, they represent important health problems and are rapidly being discarded in favor of socially distanced workspaces that limit physical contact. It's time to close rest areas and snack bars to discourage crowding. Removing or repositioning water coolers or coffee stations from the office also helps maintain social distancing rules. Another recommended action is to analyze the flow of office traffic to determine what routes people usually follow to reach the tables and where traffic jams form most frequently. Distance and direction markers can be placed on the floor to prevent blockage or crowding of the office around entry and exit points, such as elevators.
Of course, it's worth considering remote work whenever possible, even when the team returns to the office. A good example is the use of video conferencing for meetings instead of the conference table. Creating a safe environment is critical to increasing employee reliability, so actively communicating any changes will help reassure them.
2. Be flexible
Not all employees are comfortable returning to the workplace, even when stay-at-home restrictions are lifted. This may be especially true for at-risk employees or those with at-risk family members, or even those who rely on public transportation. By being flexible, you can reduce employee stress. In turn, this can improve productivity, allowing your organization to better cope with this time of uncertainty.
Flexible schedules are a good way out, allowing people to work longer hours on fewer days, for example, to manage childcare needs or minimize the trips they take on public transport. Make exceptions for employees in high-risk categories and explore ways to allow them to continue working remotely.
3. Prioritize health and safety
As your employees return to the workplace, you can implement measures that help protect them. For example: daily temperature checks, mandatory use of masks, official social distancing rules, disinfection and quarantine procedures, procedures in case someone gets sick at work, among others.
Contact TATICCA — ALLINIAL GLOBAL, which provides integrated auditing, accounting, tax services, corporate finance, Financial Advisory, Risk Advisory, technology, business consulting and training. For more information, visit www.taticca.com.br or email taticca@taticca.com.br. Our company has professionals with extensive experience in the market and has certified methodologies for carrying out activities.
