After Labor Day, many large employers asked people to return or implemented a hybrid of remote and in-person work. Google now has a mandatory three-day workweek in the office. But there is one glaring concern: exposure to COVID-19, which is still marching to a drumbeat of new infections as we head into colder weather when more people will spend time indoors. I recently read that one in three people are concerned about this. We have an employee who caught the virus four times in an eight-month tenure with our company! He was quarantined probably 30% to 40% of the time that he worked for me.
With this in mind, I’d urge business leaders and managers to stay vigilant about keeping employee safe and building a caring culture. Simple things like having enough hand sanitizers, masks and COVID tests on hand can go a long way. Cleaning surfaces where microbials live and can spread disease continues to be top of mind. Also be sure to encourage employees to follow basic practices like washing their hands, especially before eating or after using the restroom.
Always remind your team members to be cautious when they’re on public transportation where enclosed spaces can easily spread germs. We are all now transitioning into a time when the pandemic is becoming an endemic. While it’s liberating to once again gather in person, we need to be mindful that COVID-19 is still a vicious disease that has resulted in more than six million deaths worldwide. So, it’s important that we stay safe and make it policy in our offices to take to take our health seriously.
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