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As North America continues to open up and offices reopen their doors, it’s important to consider how to attract employees back into the office and re-build office culture while staying safe. You may be making the transition back to having an in-person workforce, but part of being a good business owner or manager is protecting your employees and customers from getting sick.
Leading Personal Injury Law Firm, Diamond and Diamond, has taken steps to ensure a smooth reopening for their team of 200+ Lawyers and support staff across multiple offices in Canada and Florida. Their leader (and lawyer) Jeremy Diamond shares some advice:
Understand Local Regulations
Every city, state, and province is different, and this means that the restrictions for Covid-19 and how you can safely reopen are different, too. Make sure that you’re up-to-date on your area’s regulations, and that you’ve effectively communicated these to your staff and customers. You may have a limit on how many people are allowed in your building and make sure that you carefully regulate this.
If you’re required to take temperatures or have your employees report symptoms of Covid-19 or the Delta Variant, make sure that you draft policies regarding this, and that you’re consistently following these. You may also wish to have work-from-home options for people who have been exposed to Covid, or who may exhibit symptoms and will need to self-quarantine.
Introduce New Safety Protocols
As you re-open, consider having additional cleaning services, whether you’re using a professional company or expecting your workers to take on additional duties. These procedures should be documented and carefully explained so that you’re demonstrating how you plan to keep the workplace safe.
Make In-Office Working Positive
Working from home can have its perks, but to make coming back to the office feel just as exciting, consider offering incentives for people to make the switch. You may offer take-out vouchers to local restaurants for lunches, or send welcome-back letters to your staff. Making in-office work positive will help ease the transition.
Consider In-Person Activities
While some kinds of in-person activities may be limited, in keeping with social distancing, there may be other things you can offer, such as outdoor games or exercise classes to help break up the workday and encourage fun and team-building. Or, you may consider having an office coffee hour or a happy hour before or after work.
Safety is Your Priority
Make it clear that fostering in-person community while staying safe is your priority. Ensure they know that you are here to answer their questions and concerns, and be transparent about the procedures that you have in place. Your staff will have questions of their own, and your customers may, as well. Make sure that everyone on your team can accurately and responsibly answer customer questions and concerns about the cleanliness and safety procedures that your business has.
About Jeremy Diamond
Jeremy Diamond is a lawyer and member of both Ontario and Florida Bars. Jeremy practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation. Click here to learn more about Jeremy Diamond.
