Welcome Back! Taking Care of Your Employees During Coronavirus Reopening

States across the country are slowly beginning to initiate plans for reopening. Small businesses, retail stores, and even some restaurants are opening their doors. This is great for business – but it’s important to remember that COVID-19 is still a pandemic that we need to be mindful of. There are a few ways you should be taking care of your employees during the coronavirus reopening.

Adopt a Safety-First Mindset

Before you do anything else, you need to ensure the safety of your employees. They’re the backbone of your business, after all. They help keep the doors open and give your customers and clients the service that keeps them coming back time after time.

When you’re ready to open your doors again, you should do a thorough cleaning of your space. Wipe down and disinfect all surfaces. Then, when employees start coming back in, provide ample opportunities to use hand sanitizer or wash hands.

Create a system for employees and customers to stay at least six feet apart from each other at all times. At Skylight, we like to call this practicing “Safe 6”. This may include stickers on the ground at six-foot intervals or even creating boxes using duct tape.

Whatever you’re requiring from your employees for health and safety (masks, frequent hand washing, etc), make sure you lay it all out in black and white via a companywide email and a socially-distanced team meeting. Being clear on expectations will help your employees feel safer.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

As employees start to come back from the coronavirus shutdown, they’re going to take some time to settle in. Build in some flexibility and understanding for employees that have been working from home for the last two months or who have been furloughed.

It takes some time to pick back up, especially while the state of the world is still so uncertain. Providing a safe environment and letting your employees know that you have their backs, even if that means they’re working a little differently than usual, can boost morale. Teams need motivation right now and good leadership can help give it to them.

Welcome Them Back Enthusiastically

There hasn’t been a lot of cause for celebration in the last few months. As routines start to go back to normal and we adopt a new mindset, we should take the opportunity to celebrate our employees and the reopening of businesses.

Set your employees up with some company apparel, drinkware, or brand-new office supplies. The newer and the cleaner everything is, the more comfortable people will feel. This is a time to make your employees feel appreciated for all the hard work they’ve done and the loyalty they’ve shown.

Products for Taking Care of Your Employees During the Coronavirus Reopening

During this difficult time, Skylight has opened a shop specifically for personal protective equipment, including:

·         Cloth masks

·         Hand sanitizer

·         Nitrile gloves

In addition, we carry stickers, floor decals, signage and t-shirts that promote practicing a safe six feet of distance. You can even have many of these items branded with your company logo. You can get more information here or contact your sales representative directly. More questions? Give us a call today at 410.879.8401.