Employees safety should be a priority for every business, all the time, but there are specific risks posed by infectious disease that you should be aware of. Though COVID-19 is the most significant pandemic of the last century, it’s unlikely to be the last pandemic we live through. Educating yourself about the best practices for avoiding infection is necessary for anyone managing employees, no matter what industry you’re in or where you work. If you want to ensure your staff is safe, read on for some tips on how to protect your employees from infectious diseases like COVID-19.
How can you protect your employees from infectious diseases?
Any business that handles a large volume of incoming phone traffic should consider transitioning to a cloud contact center, which will eliminate the need for a crowded physical space where employees aren’t able to stay distant from each other. Cloud contact center software gives your employees access to the tools they need to do their jobs from anywhere, even remotely. Bright Pattern software can help you switch to a cloud contact system and provide your employees the flexibility to work from home when that is the safer option.
The CDC has stressed the importance of regular COVID-19 testing, especially for companies that have returned to the office or are planning to soon. Given that it’s still difficult to find an at home COVID test in many parts of the country, it might be worthwhile to consider investing in group testing for your employees. Medical wholesalers can offer a cost-saving solution for businesses looking to test their employees for COVID-19.
You can also keep employees safer by improving ventilation in the spaces where they will be during the workday. Your needs can vary depending on what type of business you own. If your employees are customer-facing, like in retail or the restaurant business, you’ll also need to develop rules for both customer and employee behavior. You can look to public health experts for recommendations on sensible restrictions to enforce. Hiring additional security may also be necessary, considering that workers all over the Untied States have been harmed and threatened for enforcing their company’s COVID-19 policies.
What else can you do to stay safe during the pandemic?
Making the right adjustments in the workplace is important, but infectious diseases don’t go away when you’re off the clock. Living through a global pandemic has taught us how much our individual behavior can impact our communities. If you’re serious about keeping yourself and your staff safe, you should exercise caution and behave responsibly in your personal life, too. You can even make it easier for employees to do so by providing them with free essentials like masks and hand sanitizer.
Not all infectious diseases are spread the same way, but face masks can be useful for viruses like COVID-19, which can be spread through the air. You should be aware of the fact that all masks aren’t created equal. Effectiveness can vary significantly depending on what type of mask you wear. Although cloth masks are more commonly used, research indicates that N95 style masks are a better bet if you want to avoid catching COVID-19.
A comprehensive and multi-pronged approach is best when dealing with an infectious disease. A cloud contact center can help facilitate distancing and a work-from-home program. You can also expand remote work opportunities in other areas where an employee’s job duties don’t require that they be present in-person. Testing and tracing infections is also essential, which may necessitate paying for testing services. Take the time to emphasize the importance of being responsible outside the office, as your staff is only as safe as your least cautious employee. There are no perfect solutions, but business and health care professionals are hopeful that the lessons they’ve learned from COVID-19 will make them more prepared for the next pandemic.
