7 Tips That Make Returning to Work in the Midst of COVID-19 Simple

For months, COVID-19 has been the topic that dominated the news cycles and our lives. Life may not have been put on hold but it certainly gained a different look. As the outbreak appears to be more controlled, we face a new challenge: trying to get back to "normal."

Whether you're a manager or an employee, return to your work can be tricky. You need to find ways to keep yourself and your colleagues healthy while still doing your job.

If you aren't sure where to begin, start with these top tips.

1. Prepare for Anything

Venturing into the world in the midst of a pandemic is all about preparation. You need to be prepared for COVID-19 itself as well as other medical situations.

If someone has a medical emergency in the era of COVID-19, first responders will want to know as much as possible before they make contact. The more information bystanders can give about the patient, the less contact the medical personnel need to have with anyone.

This is why a medical ID is so much more important today. If you have medical wristbands, those around you will already have your important information. The same goes for a medical alert necklace.

Wallet cards are helpful too, but your colleagues may not know you have one. The more noticeable your medical ID is, the safer it is for everyone.

2. Offer More Alternatives

One of the struggles with COVID-19 is that people have been advised to stay home for so long. If you stay inside and sedentary for too long, though, it can limit your immune system. This puts you at a higher risk for COVID-19.

If you're a manager, offer your employees multiple work environments if possible. Depending on the weather and your office setup, invite team members to work outside for example.

Of course, make sure you're following proper sanitizing procedures too. If you go to a different work area, make sure you sanitize the area before and after you use it. Otherwise, you could receive or transmit the virus through the work surfaces.

3. Stock Up on Sanitation

One of the most important ways to stay healthy in the wake of COVID-19 is to sanitise your hands and your work station often. This starts with having the supplies you need on hand.

Stock up on hand sanitiser, most importantly. Have it at your desk so you can use it several times each day.

The same goes for surface disinfectants. Wipe off surfaces a few times every day, especially if your coworkers have visited your desk.

4. Make Stress Management a Priority

When we talk about staying healthy in this unique pandemic, we don't just mean avoiding COVID-19. The situation has added heavy mental stress to everyone's lives, and this is just as important to consider. In fact, excessive stress makes you more likely to get COVID-19 because it hinders your immune system.

Find small but effective ways to release stress at work. Perhaps listen to calming music or take breaks for short meditation sessions.

If you're a manager, you can also incorporate policies to help your employees lower their stress. Offer more flexible work hours. Give employees more time off to take vacations or invite them to take more breaks throughout the day.

5. Inform to Detect

An important way to slow the spread of COVID-19 is for anyone who is sick to stay home. For that to happen, people need to be able to know when they're sick.

One step you can take is to spread information throughout the office. Educate people about the symptoms of COVID-19 and the signs that they should stay home.

It's also helpful to have a way for employees to monitor their temperatures. A shared oral thermometer is hard to properly sanitise. Try contact thermometers instead to check for a fever.

Keep in mind, though, that not everyone with COVID-19 or other illnesses will get a fever. If someone feels ill, they should stay home even if they don't have a fever.

6. Find Innovative Preventative Measures

There are so many parts of daily office life that can spread COVID-19 without us realizing it. Think of all the shared surfaces you touch throughout the day for example, and all the times you have quick chats with your co-workers.

Now is the time to get creative with your preventative measures. For instance, hand distancers can help you avoid touching shared surfaces like door handles and buttons.

Another idea is to ask everyone to wear face masks while they're moving throughout the hallways or using shared spaces. These are the times when colleagues are most likely to spread droplets to each other.

7. Create New Options for Meetings

Meetings are especially tricky when you want to keep COVID-19 at bay. After all, you have several people gathered in a conference room together in close quarters.

There are a few ways you can make your meetings safer. One option is to ask everyone to wear a mask during the meeting. At a minimum, the person speaking should wear a mask because speaking releases more droplets.

Another option is to have smaller meetings with few enough people that you can stay six feet apart within the conference room. Depending on the size of your conference room, this may or may not be possible.

If your conference room is too small, consider moving the meeting to a larger room or even outdoors.

Returning to Work Safely Among COVID-19

The idea of returning to work or returning to the office is bittersweet. You may look forward to a more normal routine. However, the danger of COVID-19 still lingers. Taking measures like using hand sanitiser, having medical wristbands or medical ID bands, and modifying your routines will go a long way.

To start taking steps to protect yourself today, shop our custom medical ID items online while you stock up on protective supplies too.