How to Enforce Social Distancing at Your Business

Social distancing has become the norm since the outbreak of COVID-19, and businesses like yours can take the necessary measures to keep customers and employees safe. By enforcing social distancing at your business, you’ll be doing your part to help curb the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable illnesses that often spread from person to person through breathing or coughing or by other means. Here are some of the best ways to enforce social distancing at your business.

Maintain Distances of at Least Six Feet Apart

The CDC recommends that people remain at least six feet apart from one another to lessen the chances of getting COVID-19 through the air or by touching an infected person. This distance is equivalent to approximately two arms’ length. One of the best ways to ensure that people don’t get too close to one another is by setting up employee workstations and seats that customers might use farther apart from one another. If you operate a store or another type of business where people commonly wait in line, you can place decals on the floor to let everyone know where they should be standing to maintain proper social distancing.

Limit the Number of People Allowed Inside the Building

People who crowd together create an easier pathway for COVID-19 and other germs and viruses to spread, and limiting the number of people who are allowed to be inside your building at a time can help lessen this problem. If you run a smaller business, you may even want to allow only one customer at a time inside your building. Limiting the occupancy of your building between 25 to 50 percent of its normal total capacity can keep large crowds from gathering. Another option is to require people to schedule appointments before visiting your business so that you can control the inflow of customer traffic better.

Make Workspaces Less Open

Creating workspaces that are more enclosed for your employees is another great way to enforce social distancing. Clear barriers can be placed around desks, counters and other workstations to block particles in the air that might contain dangerous viruses or germs. Many modern cubicles are also designed to provide more enclosure for each employee. You might even consider moving some employees to certain rooms that aren’t normally occupied so that they can do their work with less exposure.

Avoid Shaking Hands

Shaking hands has long been considered a good business practice, but this polite gesture is now being frowned upon because of its potential to spread illnesses. Viruses and germs that get onto hands can be passed when shaking hands with other people, and these viruses and germs can eventually get into the body when a person touches areas around their eyes, nose or mouth. If you or any of your employees happen to shake hands with someone else, it’s advisable to wash the hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap and rinse them in warm water as soon as possible.

Give the Option of Working Remotely

Some of your employees may be able to handle many of their job duties from a home computer or laptop. You can give these employees the option of working remotely so that they won’t have to physically be at your business and risk catching or spreading illnesses. Allowing these employees to work remotely may even help increase their productivity and save your business money on operating costs.

Make Services Available Online

If possible, you can make many of your business’s services available online so that fewer people will have to visit your location. You can place many of your products for sale on your company’s website and encourage customers to purchase them through online ordering. If people need to come to your business to pick up their orders after paying for them online, you can leave their orders outside your building on a cart or table as soon as your customers notify you by phone call, text or email that they have arrived at your location.

You can slow the spread of COVID-19 and other harmful germs and viruses by practicing social distancing at your business regularly. Mandating social distancing rules will make it possible for you to still conduct business while putting fewer people in harm’s way.