Do your employees feel hesitant about a return to work after the pandemic?
Are you concerned about making sure how to comply with the new covid-19 CDC guidelines?
How will you assure your employees and customers that their health and wellness are your top priority?
Covid 19 has transformed the way businesses operate. Employers and employees are considering returning to work as the speed and distribution of covid-19 vaccinations continue to pick up. Returning to work will take some adjusting, like most things in the last 20 months. Businesses must consider how to reintroduce on-site work. They need to think of all possible options and choose the one that best aligns with their business goals while also considering employee needs.
Many employees last came to the office over a year ago, and the processes and procedures they’re used to will most certainly change to protect everyone’s safety. Before even asking employees to return to work after covid, organizations in every industry will need to do some work of their own, which begins with developing trust.
Let’s look at some of the challenges that organizations may face and the ideas for addressing them.
Challenges Organization Face Due to COVID
Minimizing exposure and controlling access to the space
When it comes to admitting people to the workplace, how will companies manage the risk? The companies would require people to report details such as Covid 19 results, symptoms, recent travels, or exposure to someone sick. Companies have a better chance of avoiding risk by using a system that allows employees to self-report symptoms and possible exposure.
Creating flexible work schedules
While deciding on bringing people back to work, companies may need to take a staged approach and consider individuals’ needs when selecting necessary accommodations. They can offer people to work in shifts. That gives the flexibility to have a certain number of people at the workplace and is especially helpful for employees who use public transport to travel off-peak hours.
Communicating clearly and consistently
According to a recent McKinsey & Company survey, 47% of respondents were concerned about the future of their company and needed to communicate clearly. It’s challenging and critical for companies to keep employees informed about the measures being taken to keep them safe and operating the company efficiently, especially with the new information regarding Covid 19 released daily.
Being able to communicate with the management and keeping people informed can also help in gaining trust. Companies could provide a dedicated channel just for Covid 19 related updates. This could motivate employees to share resources and empathize (something equally important). Companies could organize online town hall meetings, where people can anonymously speak their minds, ask questions, provide feedback and express concerns without revealing their identities.
Maintaining a record of employee health and wellness while maintaining the confidentiality
Organizations must maintain employees’ health and wellness records such as daily temperature checks, testing records, vaccination records, questionnaires or surveys, and more.
Employees have a right to privacy when it comes to health screenings and medical data, which will be put to the test during this crisis. To protect the confidentiality, all medical information about an employee must be kept separate from the employee’s personnel records.
Ensuring that the COVID guidelines are followed
Employers must adhere to several regulatory and legal requirements to safeguard their businesses, employees, and customers as they adapt to a new way of working. Organizations will require tools to aid decision-making and assure adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.
In these unprecedented and constantly changing times, employers must recognize the benefits of data-driven solutions by developing a return-to-work plan that is safe and effective and safeguards employees and customers. Technology plays a crucial part in this new normal, redefining workplace standards remotely and on-site.
Employers are keen to use innovative technological solutions that will aid in the battle against the coronavirus and ensure that their workplaces are as safe as possible. There are several return-to-work applications created to help with this transition. The new COVID-19 office management solutions seek to tackle challenges such as keeping workplaces safe and handling issues such as developing a COVID-aware staff and shift plan, collecting data on possibly infected individuals or visitors, and adopting a new monitoring and escalation procedure. So how can companies prepare to return to work post COVID-19?
Post COVID Return to Work Solutions to Consider
Cocolevio Solution - cert19 - Return to Work Covid Safety Application
Cert19 is a Cocolevio solution designed to help companies and schools return to an in-person safe environment. The application makes it easier to follow the CDC’s guidelines for preventing covid 19 and its variants. Furthermore, it focuses on customers and students practice healthy and safe habits. If your company has five or fewer employees, you can get the cert19 standard package for free.
Some of the main modules of the application include:
- Occupancy Management: Organizations can adhere to social distancing norms using the occupancy management module. It schedules and tracks space usage as per capacity limits.
- Temperature Checks: Keep track of temperature readings for employees and customers. It sets up temperature checks at regular intervals. Individuals can take temperatures at home and upload the results from their phones.
- Daily Questionnaires: Managers can be alerted to activities or symptoms that indicate someone is compromised or at high risk of contracting Covid 19.
- Submit Test Results: Allow employees to upload vaccination cards, virus test results, and other necessary documentation.
- Employee Risk Assessment: In one easy-to-understand format, the employee risk assessment graph shows who and how many people may be at risk.
- Health Sense Reminders: Receive reminders on remaining healthy and keeping the workplace safe. The system will send out health sense reminders at set times throughout the day. These reminders can be customized to suit your needs.
- Feedback Whistle: This feature allows employees to ask questions, give suggestions, and raise concerns anonymously. This allows for quick policy changes if needed and immediate addressing of concerns.
- Contact Tracing Module: Using Bluetooth technology, automate and simplify onsite contact tracing. If anyone tests positive, the system will identify all other people who may have come in close contact with the infected person. The software can then alert them to take precautions.
The cert19 return to work solution offers several benefits:
- Protect Employees and Customers: Maintain a safe working environment for employees and customers by conducting frequent inspections and monitoring.
- Lawsuit Protection: To avoid and defend against potential Covid19 claims, keep track of your employer’s policies and records.
- Win Customer Trust: Let your customers know you and your employees are putting their health first.
- Intuitive Dashboard: It provides simplified and intuitive dashboards that provide a complete view of workplace safety. The dashboards are customizable for customers with specific requirements.
ServiceNow Safe Workplace Suite
The Safe Workplace Suite from ServiceNow aims to simplify new processes while managing employees’ prior work habits and services. This return-to-work system incorporates specific contact tracking capabilities to assist, detect, and respond to employee exposure risk. There are additional capabilities for automatic cleaning schedules, distancing floorplans, safety communications, and self-service reservations for safer office foot traffic. The suite facilitates employee health testing and addresses employee travel safety through its online portal and mobile apps.
Everbridge Covid-19 Shield
COVID-19 Shield comes in three different packages at Everbridge. These aid in the identification of risks, the protection of employees, and the management of operational disturbances. Its communication tools keep supervisors up to date on employee health and status at work and home, as well as for individuals who may be traveling.
COVID-19 by Everbridge Shield uses a variety of third-party databases to keep firms informed about new outbreaks, travel bans, and other events that might disrupt business. It’s a one-stop shop for check-ins, wellness reporting, and distributing health alerts.
Zoho BackToWork
In 2020, Zoho launched its BackToWork product. It assists managers and IT administrators in ensuring employee safety, reliable communications, and secure access and entry during the return to work transition. Zoho BackToWork has six modules: Administration, Communications, Employee Self-Service, Safe Entry, Volunteering, and Wellness. BackToWork is a cloud-based program that works on Android and Apple iOS devices. These may be utilized as staff and guest check-in kiosks.
Future of Return to Work Post the Pandemic
The pandemic has thrown us a few curveballs, but companies may better prepare to adjust to the changing situations ahead by adopting a few proactive steps. The new normal of COVID is still evolving and is here to stay, and technological solutions help make it possible.
Above all, companies must maintain an awareness of individuals’ empathy. Employees have much anxiety about the process of returning to work. Trust is necessary to move forward together and rebuild by prioritizing safety, privacy, and transparency even before the performance.
Beyond the pandemic, businesses prioritizing employee well-being and experience will stay relevant and competitive. They need post covid return to work software to follow the standard operating procedures for the workplace.
