Top Tips for Safely Transitioning Back into the Office

As COVID-19 guidelines gradually lessen throughout the country, many remote office workers are preparing to go back into their corporate locations. After all, working from home might keep people safe, but interacting with coworkers and indulging in your workplace culture is something we'll never take for granted again.

Offices choosing to open their doors extends past the need for socialization. Regardless of the type of work you're doing, open collaboration is much easier in person. It also helps you train and on-board new employees that are intimidated by joining a company remotely. But as we transition back into the office, there are a few things that we need to consider. Is it safe to go back in? How many people are allowed inside at a time?

Here are some of the top considerations you should make when you're inviting employees back into the office during the coronavirus pandemic.

Invite, don't order It's natural that the owner of a company wants their office environment to thrive. But ordering employees to go back into the office is a bad idea. While some people might be itching to see their coworkers, there are many more who have concerns over mingling with their colleagues. Some of your employees might have immune deficiencies or live with a family member that's at a higher risk from suffering from the virus. If you live in an area that requires traveling to the office via public transportation, like in New York City, many people might also want to avoid ​ ​ the confined spaces on subways and buses.

The best thing you can do is to invite your employees back into the office. Sterilize the workplace and ensure that you're cleaning consistently throughout the day. If your employees come back right away, that's fine. If employees continue to work from home, that's fine too. Never push someone out of their comfort zone in the midst of a pandemic.

Invest in temperature checks Temperature checks are among the best ways to stop someone with COVID-19 in their tracks. Most hospitals and healthcare organizations have already been using fever screens before allowing a person inside their doors. Using infrared cameras, the person checking you in doesn't even need to touch you to see what your temperature is. Someone who is asymptomatic might

still have a fever. Turning those people around and sending them to work from home is the best advice.

Unfortunately, this isn't a surefire way to stop COVID-19 from spreading. There are also few ​ studies that back up the fact that temperature checks are a sound way of identifying sickness in ​ COVID-19 carriers. There are many people who spread COVID-19 without realizing that they have it, which is why social distancing and wearing a mask is so vital in the office.

Along with investing in temperature checks, you should also encourage your employees to get tested regularly and maintain social distancing guidelines when they're at work. ​ ​ How many employees will you allow back in the office? Most office spaces are letting in fewer employees than they're used to. After all, you're more likely to catch COVID-19 in highly populated or high-density areas. Instead of inviting back your staff all at once, consider putting rules on how many people are allowed in the office at a given time. Most places are inviting back their employees at 30% capacity. If you're struggling ​ ​ with ways to implement this recommendation, try making a calendar for each department in your office. List how many people are allowed inside the office each day and ensure that your employees are not overloading these time spots.

When you do arrive back in the office, you should space out desks according to the six-feet rule to prevent any transmission of the virus. Offer cleaning products and face masks, as well. The last thing you want is for your employees to get sick.

When you're reopening your office, try to remember that some people will be more comfortable reentering than others. Accommodate your employees to ensure that everyone -- even your remote team -- is at ease during the pandemic.