The world post-pandemic will be entirely different from the world we’ve had before it. Unfortunately, the disease has changed the way we do our daily activities. Because of the high transmission rate of the virus, normal human activities became limited. Compared to the normal flu, the virus has a high fatality rate. While the true nature of the coronavirus pandemic is still unknown, what we know is that some variants are more transmissible than others. In fact, certain countries have their own strain that has been reported to be deadlier than others. Some can even resist certain types of vaccines.
Aside from the mandates regarding working from home, no one was inclined to go out and risk one’s health. The danger also lies in the fact that while one may be healthy and asymptomatic upon catching the virus, transmission to your vulnerable loved ones is easy. All it takes is to spend a few minutes together with them in the same room, and, likely, they’ve already caught it. It is assumed during contact tracing that immediate family members of the infected are likely victims of the virus.
Most offices have been closing down because of the pandemic. Restrictions were put into place about going back to the crowded places in light of what’s happening. Meeting in the workplace became difficult and dangerous. Without being inoculated, the risk of getting horribly sick from the virus is high. Crowded offices are a no-go for the foreseeable future.
What are the hurdles of managing the Post-COVID-19 workplace?
Vaccination
Getting everyone in the office vaccinated might present difficulty for some offices, firms, and companies. There are millions of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccine supporters in the United States. Unfortunately, misinformation has damaged the knowledge base of common Americans. There are countless people spreading misinformation and false news about the purpose and effects of these vaccines.
Not being vaccinated will make the situation harder for people who want to go back to the offices. Vaccinating every employee is the biggest hurdle companies are facing about managing the post-COVID-19 workplace.
Competing with the Work-from-home Arrangement
A lot have become comfortable with the work-from-home arrangement. Because of the restrictions and regulations put into place, offices placed employees in the work-from-home set-up. Getting people back to the normal Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. office setup will be difficult. Working from home is actually more practical, cheaper, and less stressful than actually going to the workplace.
Unfortunately, not everything can be accomplished from the house. Some things have no digital provision and must be done personally. Integrating a work-from-home arrangement can be done in a normal office setting. By letting people work remotely, you can reduce your office’s carbon footprint and save up on upkeep costs.
Hygiene and Sanitation
Keeping the workplace clean and sanitized needs extra effort upon the return of people in the workplace. We will never be sure of the germs, bacteria, and viruses that people working in your office may be bringing from the outside. Hiring professional janitorial cleaning services might be necessary for offices opening back up. Going on a schedule on days it can be cleaned and fogged with anti-bacterial solutions is key to keeping a safe, hygienic, and sanitized workplace. You can never be too careful when handling the deadly virus.
Employee Retention
Unfortunately, manpower is not really needed in some companies. Because of the really horrible economic output the pandemic has caused, companies are retrenching, reducing, and terminating employees. Some are even eliminating entire departments. Employee retention would be a challenge, especially in this economic climate. While businesses would want to keep their employees, they cannot recover their losses in 2020 by not cutting their excesses.
Pandemic Proof
Digitization of business is crucial for survival going forward. If there’s anything that the pandemic showed, it is that no business can continue forward without touching base with the internet. Through the Internet, transactions are made possible. Keeping the ball rolling with your customers and clients can now be done through simple apps on your phone. While it may take some investment to get into, the businesses must stay pandemic-proof. Investing in technology that can keep communication lines open is vital for the business’ survival.
While the world is still recuperating from the effects of COVID-19, we must keep an eye on businesses as well. The economy is still reeling back from the damage the pandemic has caused. Risk management, among others, is a surprising skill most businesses suddenly needed from their employees to keep their companies afloat.
