Redesigning the Post-Pandemic Workplace
The workplace becomes a disaster in times of pandemic. Businesses will have to stop their operations temporarily or completely because they are not able to handle the risk, especially if it’s very severe. The workplace may become too dangerous for employees to work at and business owners will find it hard to hire new staff. The workplace has also become a place where residents can easily get sick, diseases are spreading out easily and people have required more frequent medical checkups. Outlined below are five ways in which companies can redesign the post-pandemic workplace according to pain management specialist Dr. Jordan Sudberg.
1. Limit Physical Interactions
Organizations can redesign their workspace by reducing face-to-face interactions and encouraging people to work remotely. This can greatly reduce the spread of germs. Face-to-face meetings should be minimized, if possible, through conference calling or teleconferencing. Businesses can also allow employees to work from home for a limited time during outbreaks of severe diseases. Such measures will help decrease physical contact between workers, thus helping them from getting sick and spreading the virus.
2. Social Distancing
Companies can redesign their workplaces by encouraging staff to be more mindful of the people they interact with and the places they go. They must also educate employees on how they can get infected before and after an outbreak of a pandemic, making them aware of what they can do to prevent themselves from being infected. Businesses must avoid crowded places, where it is easier for viruses to spread. Airplane travel is an important channel through which many infections are spread when there is an outbreak of severe disease. Businesses should consider arranging meetings, conferences and seminars at other more distant locations to limit social interaction during outbreaks of severe diseases that are prone to spread rapidly.
3. Contactless Office
To limit physical interactions and keep them at a minimum, businesses can encourage staff to work in contactless offices. Contactless offices are free of the risk of being contaminated by germs or viruses because they have been designed with specialized ventilation systems that explicitly prevent people from coming into contact with germs through air circulation, corporations and governments should adopt them.
4. Ventilation
One of the ways businesses can redesign the post-pandemic workplace is to have a ventilation system in place. It is necessary to ensure that it does not spread through air circulation. Companies need to consider such measures when building new offices and renovating existing ones.
5. Regular Health Monitoring
Companies can redesign their workplaces by encouraging staff to be more mindful of their health by monitoring themselves regularly, knowing what symptoms to watch out for during an outbreak, and then taking action as soon as possible. Businesses can also consider having employees take swab tests regularly and undergo regular health checkups.
According to pain management specialist Dr. Jordan Sudberg, the above-given measures will help companies redesign the post-pandemic workplace. They will help prevent businesses from closing down due to a shortage of workforce or from the outbreak of severe diseases that may have caused a pandemic. Businesses need to develop training programs that provide staff with information on how they can get infected, how they can stay safe in a pandemic and what they can do if they become sick. People should be encouraged to practice hand washing as it will help them avoid acquiring germs and spreading them easily.