As the provincial governments start to allow certain businesses to reopen, many owners are trying to determine how best to do so. Here are the main things to consider as you prepare for reopening after Covid-19.
COVID-19 has done more than disrupt health. Entire industries have been shaken up, and what was once apriority may no longer be for your organization.
Even after the lockdown is no longer, its effects will linger for a long time. Thus, it likely makes sense to put off strategic partnerships that were your focus before the pandemic and instead focus on your organization’s survival and resilience.
Then, communicate the updates to staff so they know what to expect and what is expected of them. This information is also important for HR professionals to relay to new hires.
Regardless of how strong your workplace culture was before COVID-19, the chances are that it has taken a hit. Maintaining a strong company culture is just as important as it was before but working from home has shaken it.
Now is the time for HR departments to look at how the company can create a positive environment that is supportive of employees. To start the process, create a culture survey and distribute it to employees to understand what they feel is lacking and what they hope for in the workplace.
Maintaining a safe workplace for your employees and customers is vital. As you reopen your small business, do so safely by continuing to keep social distancing rules in place.
Also, encourage staff and customers to frequently wash their hands with soap and water, and use hand sanitizer. Implement a hygiene policy that includes regularly cleaning surfaces with a disinfectant. Finally, if an employee shows symptoms in the workplace, have a procedure in place if that unfortunate situation occurs.
If a second wave happens, as it did with the H1N1 pandemic, then businesses would be wise to create a pandemic preparedness plan. As the country reopens, there is the risk of gatherings that could generate new cases of COVID-19.
Businesses need to assess their initial response and ask employees how they feel that the company responded to the first outbreak of the novel coronavirus. This feedback collected by HR pros can help organizations formulate a plan. This plan needs to be flexible, responding to societal changes as they happen, and communicate updates openly to employees.
When the coronavirus outbreak began, you may have been skeptical about allowing employees to work from home. However, you might have found that you have been able to maintain aproductive workforce that communicates well by incorporating new approaches, such as using automation tools for recruitment and onboarding.
Thus, you might look at whether to offer employees the opportunity to work from home once a week or even turn some jobs into remote positions permanently. If so, it’s vital that remote employees feel as valuable to the organization as those who are in the office.
As businesses prepare to reopen, there are many considerations, from business goals to work environments. Hopefully, reopening doors will improve the economy, and people will be safe. When done right, that can certainly happen.
