Health and wellbeing should always come first. Ensuring that workers and the general public are safe in their cities is essential. However, the economy must make slow strides to open back up after the initial COVID-19 impact. All 50 states have been opening up over the last few months at different speeds, and although those plans are fluid, and we will see many pauses and reclosing, in general, the economy does need to be supported.
While some states have given the go-ahead, others have placed more stay-at-home orders on, and others are reversing their opening – it is important to adapt as a worker or business.
Retail sectors, food and drinks, entertainment and many outdoor companies took heavy hits when COVID-19 initially took a grip of the world. Yet, office workers, many in the digital space and even some education resources adapted and overcame. They took COVID-19 as a challenge and changed how they work and what they do to keep making a profit.
You should look to leverage the shift to online communications and spending.
What Can You Do?
If you have the ability to work from home, you run a business that has remote staff, or you are in the middle of launching a COVID-19 start-up, you need to make sure that you are working comfortably. Working takes up most of the hours of the day, and if you don’t have an ergonomically designed desk and chair – you’ll feel it pretty quickly.
It is easy to over-consume the news right now, yet it is essential for you to stay up to date with the movement through the cities opening up in phases, and how this will impact you, your business or the action you need to take.
Opening Up America
You need to be aware that there are a number of guidelines for individuals and business to make the phases of opening up work.
Of course, the most important is that if you feel ill, you should self isolate and contact your medical provider.
Individuals
Washing hands regularly with soap and water, and using hand sanitizer
Avoid touching your face
Disinfect items that are used often – phone, steering wheel, keyboard
Use a mask when in public
Employers
Ensure that there are social distance measures in place
Check temperatures of staff if they are in the building
Sanitize well
Supporting Remote Staff
While over time part of the COVID-19 recovery will be the return to offices and places of work, you can take steps to support your staff while they work from home. You can provide access to digital tools, training and ensure that they are using ergonomically designed desks and chairs. These are the basic tools to help them do their job.
Look at more flexible models of working as everything becomes more open so that you are prepared to have less staff or a number of days in and out of the offices. Minimize the non-essential meetings and travel, and quickly adopt the new ‘normal’ in your post-COVID-19 recovery.