Throughout the pandemic, businesses have agonized over when the right time to return to the office would be. The risk of Covid-19 remains with us, so it’s completely appropriate to be cautious about the transition back to working in person. The reality is, though, that working in an office is now relatively safe with the right precautions. In the era of rapid Covid test kits for sale and easily available vaccines, those who want or need to return to the office can feel good about taking steps in that direction. Of course, that’s only as long as leadership makes the necessary choices to keep employees safe. Below, we’ll talk about the reasons that some businesses are taking the plunge on returning in person, as well as how to deploy Covid safety tools most effectively.
The following is a general guide, not a substitute for official guidance on public health or employment law. Best practices are always subject to change as pandemic conditions evolve.
Five Reasons Some Businesses Are Going Back to the Office
1. The Covid vaccines are highly effective, especially with a booster.
Vaccination is our best weapon against Covid-19. The Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines are highly protective against Covid and, with boosters now available to all adults, they’ve gotten even more so. Although breakthrough infections do occur, an office of fully vaccinated people is at relatively low risk.
2. It’s easy to get fast, accurate Covid tests for employees.
Now that rapid Covid test kits are widely available, it’s possible to implement Covid testing in your office. Highly sensitive tests like the Abbott BinaxNOW™ Covid test kit are available in bulk, allowing offices to create comprehensive testing policies that help prevent outbreaks.
3. Working in person is better for some employees’ mental health and productivity.
Many workers are eager to get back in the office, especially those who thrive on socialization and/or have highly collaborative roles. Going back to working in person can be highly beneficial for these workers, who may find remote work frustrating or isolating. Even if you don’t bring everyone back in person full time, your biggest social butterflies will probably appreciate it.
4. Collaboration platforms make it easy to work with team members who are still remote.
With the number of remote collaboration tools available to businesses now, employees who want to work in person can return without disrupting the workflows of those still working remotely. Developing smooth cooperation and productivity between in-person and remote teams is also an increasingly valuable skill in a world where permanent remote work is becoming more common. In that sense, developing a hybrid model is a key part of building for the future.
5. Working in person helps cultivate relationships.
Face-to-face communication does help cultivate workplace relationships in ways that remote work still often lacks. Zoom happy hours only go so far, and relationships with important clients may need that personal touch that’s hard to deliver digitally. That said, don’t let enthusiasm for this aspect of office work interfere with sensible Covid precautions.
Essential Precautions for Going Back to the Office
For any business whose employees will be heading back to the office soon, these are some crucial precautions to take:
1. Vaccination
The number one way to have a Covid-safe return to the office is to ensure that as many employees as possible are fully vaccinated and boosted. In most states, employers are allowed to mandate that their employees be fully vaccinated, and many large employers have already done so. Other states don’t allow employers to mandate vaccines. However, employers who aren’t allowed to require vaccines are still free to offer incentives. The one point of caution is to be sure that your organization isn’t coercing employees into revealing ADA-protected health information.
2. Ventilation
Since the virus mainly infects people through airborne transmission, ventilation should be a high priority for your office. The CDC offers lots of recommendations for improving airflow and air quality. These include everything from opening windows and adding fans to installing portable HEPA filters. Work with your building management to find a solution that will keep air moving.
3. Testing
Keeping a supply of rapid Covid tests on hand is important. While every workplace will create its own Covid testing policy, these are some circumstances when many workplaces will want to test:
- Exposures to Covid inside or outside the workplace
- People who previously tested positive returning to work
- Preparing for or returning from interstate or international travel
- Employees showing Covid symptoms at work
See the CDC guidelines on workplace Covid testing for more info on implementing testing in your workplace.
4. Face Masks
Face masks significantly reduce a person’s chance of spreading or contracting the virus. Mask standards for employees vary widely by state. Some still require masks in the workplace unless employees can maintain social distancing, while others don’t require them for fully vaccinated employees.
If your organization isn’t making vaccines mandatory, masks are particularly critical for protecting the health and safety of your employees. Either way, consider getting some branded masks as a fun promotional item and a great way to ensure that people stay masked up.
5. Hybrid Work
Some employees may have a medical condition that makes it unsafe for them to return to working in person, or they may simply feel more safe working from home. A hybrid work model can work well, so long as working remotely doesn’t hurt employees’ performance. Look into your options for hybrid working and keep an open mind about the possibilities.
6. Hand Hygiene
Finally, hand hygiene is still an important way to prevent the spread of Covid. Hand sanitizer stations are a great place to start, as they make it easy for employees to make sanitizing part of their everyday routine. However, washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and hot water is still the gold standard that all employers should encourage from employees.
