As businesses around the country reopen, workers are asking how they can return to their jobs while keeping the risk for this coronavirus as low as possible.
Here are some changes you might see and steps you can take.
Like everywhere else, social distancing will be important. Instead of open floor plans with team workspaces, employees should use their own desks, spaced further apart than normal with barriers between them. In-person meetings will be limited to small numbers of people, if they’re held at all. Elevators might only have a few people at a time, and tape on the floor might instruct people where to stand. Everyone might be required to wear a mask.
Cleanliness will become even more critical. Janitors and employees will be asked to disinfect workspaces throughout the day.
Watch what you touch. Avoid touching common surfaces, like community desks, counters, and phones, and use hand sanitizer when you do touch them. Avoid using the office coffee pot and bring your own coffee instead. Find ways to avoid touching door handles and elevator buttons.
And people in at-risk groups might discuss with their employer, and their doctor, whether it’s better for them to return to work or work from home.
These changes might be inconvenient, but they might also become our new normal at work for the next few months.
