Deciding when to reopen your business is a tough decision to make! The pandemic has left many with feelings of uncertainty regarding their business plans. How do you know whether returning to the workplace is the right decision for your business? There is no right or wrong answer as we navigate through these uncharted territories, all that we know for certain is that the pandemic will reshape the way the workplace operates.
The Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly forced millions of businesses to shift to remote work to allow for decreased transmission of the virus. This unforeseen circumstance revealed both weaknesses and strengths in a potential work from home model: employees found that they struggled with communicating with their colleagues, had diminished social interactions and found it hard to collaborate on projects but also appreciated not having to commute, being able to spend more time with their families, and being in the comfort of their own home. If revenue is not seriously impacted by remote working, remote culture may make a lasting impression-- even past the pandemic. Although allowing employees to work remotely until the CDC deems that the pandemic is no longer of concern is ideal, not every business has the economic flexibility. So what are factors you should take into account when you are ready to return to the workplace? Tracking shifts in employee sentiment and ability to maintain a safe workplace!
One of the most important things to evaluate when considering to transition back into the workplace is how your employees feel about returning to work. Employee sentiment regarding the return and workplace safety can affect levels of productivity, mental health and can even determine if an employee wants to continue working at the company. In fact, according to a Bain/Dynata American Workers Survey conducted in June, about fifty percent of office workers are currently working remotely and twenty percent of those workers (or ten percent of the overall US office worker population) stated they would not return to the office despite safety measures. How do you determine how employee sentiments shift as we navigate through this pandemic? Surveys! DropThought has streamlined this process by creating survey templates that you may use for your business to determine their thoughts!
If the data suggests that your employees are receptive to return to work, it is absolutely essential that you evaluate your ability as an employer to maintain a safe workplace. At the minimum, you should be following CDC guidelines as to promoting healthy hygiene practices, intensifying cleaning and disinfection, staggered seating and gathering times, restrict use of shared items and cancel non essential travel. In addition, workers noted that they expected social distancing to be enforced, all employees be required to wear a mask, and have temperatures of each employee checked before entering the building. Surveying your employees to ascertain their expectations of the level of safety precautions that are followed at minimum would allow employees to feel safe at the workplace and lead to a successful reopening!
If you aspire to open your business and want to ensure the safety of your employees, check out dtSmartWorks360! dt360 is a Digital Application Suite that allows you to monitor your workforce in depth and manage the business in real time. Use dt360 to identify insights in real time and make informed decisions, thereby making it a safe and intelligent way to reboot your business! Want to learn more information about dtSmartWorks360? Check out this page to learn more about how dtSmartWorks360 can help reboot your workplace!