No one knows how long it will be until everything gets back to normal again.

6 months? A year? 18 months? 2 years?

During that time, coronavirus could erupt and drive society back into a frenzy again. But then again, it also might not. No one knows for sure.

But for now, the country is gradually going to open its doors for business again. And that’s at least progress.

Of course, one of your associates’ top concerns will be staying safe from coronavirus.

There’s a lot of advice on protecting your associates from coronavirus…much more than we can cover in a single simple blog post. So for now, let’s cover some of the highlights, as recommended by the National Safety Council:

1. Consider Fully Disinfecting Your Entire Workplace

Yep. It’s a big job. But, it may be necessary for your workplace to begin operations again. Strongly consider disinfecting your entire facility and all your equipment.

It’s a wise idea to have this hired out. While your own associates could do this, they may not have the expertise that sanitation (janitorial) services do. So, they could overlook small details that end up allowing coronavirus to spread throughout your workplace.

It’s your choice. But that is a serious consideration. Remember also to check with your local authorities or other regulatory agencies to see if law requires full disinfection also.

2. Screening Procedures

Currently, and for the foreseeable future, widespread testing for coronavirus won’t be available.

So, how do you handle screening for coronavirus from there?

For now, the best you can do is temperature screening and self-assessments. Then, have a policy in place that outlines what happens when you identify an associate with an unusually high temperature or other potential warning signs of coronavirus.

3. Recognize the Importance of Stress Management

Stressed associates have reduced focus on their work. That means more mistakes happen. And if your associates perform high-risk tasks, one mistake can be disastrous.

You can’t get around the fact that working during the COVID-19 pandemic will raise your associates’ stress levels.

However, you can promote awareness of stress and greater associate self-care to keep their stress levels in check.

Taking care of your associates always pays dividends for your business. So make it more of a priority than you ever have before.

4. Stay Up-to-Date with Government Policy

Easier said than done here. But you have to make it happen somehow. Identify the sources of information at the federal, state, and local levels. Stay in touch with what they’re saying.

And have a plan in place for disseminating that information as it becomes available. You may need to assign a small team to this.

Re-opening won’t be simple or easy. But, at least you’ll be able to get back up and operating again. So, keep these tips in mind and make sure you stay in touch with the latest updates as society re-opens.