Maintaining Healthy Business Environment During COVID-19 Pandemic

by Ronald Wolf Business Consultant

With the pandemic stretching into several years now, affecting almost every aspect of our lives, we have to try and adjust in order to move on. Unless we want the global economy to crash, we can’t just stop working. In order to normalize everyday business as best as we can, it’s necessary to look over some of the factors that contribute to a healthy business environment.

Hygiene

Starting from the basics. This is one that you should really be doing anyway, regardless of the pandemic, but keeping your hands clean throughout the day is imperative for basic hygiene. Wash them frequently with soap for 20 seconds. If you can’t wash them, then make sure to have a hand sanitizer or medicinal alcohol to do the job instead. Avoid close contact with personnel if unnecessary, especially with people who are visibly ill. It’s important to stay away from other people so that you don’t breathe in the particles that are produced by them.

Nobody likes to take needless days off of work when feeling sick but uncertain whether they are actually sick. But during the pandemic you have to take the extra step of certainty, for the safety of you, and your co-workers and friends.

What can the Employer do?

Safety goes both ways. If the employees are to prioritize safety, then the employers need to stimulate this thought process.

• The most obvious first step is granting paid time off in order for the employee to get vaccinated. Workers should take any opportunity for a paid leave in order to get vaccinated so having the extra push from the employer will just benefit both parties.

• Those who are infected, unvaccinated and had close contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as any workers who show early symptoms must be instructed to work from home when possible.

• Provide all employees with face masks, its expected for a respected employer to supply their employees with the necessary medical goods.

• Worker screenings such as temperature checks don’t make up much of your time but they make sure that the employees have a much lower chance of coming in infected into the workplace. It’s always possible for the screenings not to give adequate information but it still offers good basic insight. Conducting daily in-person health checks before entering the facility should be done in a discrete and respectful manner while maintaining social distancing and not infringing the rights of the employees.

• Train and educate workers so they are in line with your COVID-19 policies. Communicating frequently and in plain language allows everyone to get a better grasp of the situation. Explaining that it’s necessary for the mask to be over your mouth and nose can be done in a friendly and professional manner. Inform them of the sources of exposure to the virus and how to independently identify potentially infected individuals in the workplace and how to report possible cases.

• Maintaining ventilation systems is a big one. The virus spreads between people indoors more than it does outdoors. Having proper working ventilation throughout the workplace is essential to minimize the spread of the virus indoors. Conducting regular inspections for the ventilation systems leads to a more controlled working environment. Employees should also be educated in how the rooms are ventilated in order to be able to notify the building manager on time regarding possible vent clogs.

• Employers should strive to eliminate the threat of infection, that means locating the possibly infected individuals and isolating them from the rest of the workers.

For those who work in construction, it is advisable to dissimulate direct conversation and instead put a focus on higher usage of safety signs and indirect communication.

Mental Fortitude

The pandemic has left a ton of people in a weaker state of mind than before. A continuous lockdown forces us to self-isolate. As social creatures, it falls hard on people to be forced to be alone or just have contact online, unable to leave your home except for basic necessities. Digitalizing is indeed a great way to make sure work is still being done in the safest way possible, but it takes a toll on the individual if done for longer periods of time. Especially considering that depression, fatigue, and loneliness has been significantly more reported during the pandemic. However, where digitalization isn't fully implementable, managers should try and change their approach in order to promote a healthy and productive mindset for their workers. The main difference between virtual teamwork and real-life teamwork is that a strong leader will focus on the team as a whole in real life, while virtual teamwork focuses more on the individual team member and individual awards.

What Symptoms to Look Out for

*Disclaimer that this does not mean that these are the exclusive signs of being infected, they are just the most common ones. Not having some of them doesn’t mean you're safe.

• A fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher, or a feverish feeling

• Tiredness or fatigue

• Dry cough

Less common symptoms include:

• Loss of taste or smell

• A rash on the skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes

• Sore throat

• Aches and pains

Close contact with someone who has been previously infected with COVID-19 in the previous 14 days may indicate possible infection.

In order to adapt to the circumstances, both the employee and employer need to act more responsibly. We know that this has been told countless times by now, and it gets boring being repeatedly told the same thing. But we have to keep trying in order to persevere and get through this mess.