With the COVID-19 pandemic, many offices are finding that hygiene is a more pressing topic than ever before. You may need to wipe down all surfaces every time a customer visits your offices. You may also need to carefully disinfect after an outbreak and before you bring employees back to the office. In either case, these office cleaning and safety tips may help:
- Stay up-to-date with government mandates. The government may ask some businesses to close temporarily or may have specific mandates for reopening.
- Keep communication open. To help keep workers safe, share information about your office policies to slow the spread of COVID-19. Be sure to share details about any measures you are taking to keep the workspace clean as well.
- Consider work-at-home options. Some office work can be done at home. Offering this option can help reduce employee stress and can keep your office open. And with telework, you may not need to make as many adjustments in your office space.
- Step up your cleaning system. You should have a written system to ensure all surfaces — especially common surfaces — are disinfected often. Make wipe-downs of keyboards, switches and other surfaces more frequent and document when cleaning happens so you have written records.
- Think aerosol. Current research suggests that aerosol transmission is the most common way for COVID-19 to spread. Consider asking workers to wear masks and encourage employees to stay home if they are unwell. HEPA air filters can also help clear the air.
- Rearrange your office to accommodate social distancing. Take a look at your office and consider whether workspaces could be distanced or whether physical barriers could be placed in between individuals. Encourage social distancing in common areas and provide workers with masks, if appropriate.
- Don’t forget online hygiene. While your office may be focused on wiping down doorknobs more often, it’s also important to keep your digital hygiene and safety in mind. With more people online and making digital payments, identity theft and scams are more common. Security may also be an issue if workers are using their personal computers for telework, so be sure to focus on online safety and your office’s digital security.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers must take reasonable steps to keep workers safe. Your plans and precautions may change as the world learns more about COVID-19, but taking the above steps is a good start.
Stay on Top of a Changing Workplace
The workplace looks very different after COVID-19 than it did before the novel coronavirus appeared. As you make the necessary adjustments in your office, you may wish to seek out services to ensure your payroll adjusts, too. As you spend more time managing your COVID-19 response, getting customized payroll services from BCM Payroll Services, Inc. helps free up your time so you can focus on what matters.
From keeping you tax-compliant to handling your payroll needs, BCM Payroll Services, Inc. is your trusted partner in Central Pennsylvania and Western Maryland. Contact us today to get a quote and see for yourself why competitors are choosing us to help them thrive.