A Test Of Leadership: Getting Employees Back To The Office

Never before have business leaders been presented with such a challenge to their leadership authority and skill. The coronavirus has put a spanner in the works to the global economy, and that’s putting it lightly. Now the challenge is, to get people back to work, as the lockdown slowly lifts in phases. The issue for business leaders is, how can you help and or convince your workers that it's safe for them to come back to work? How can you convince your clients that you’re open for business and can pick up from where you left off? How can you show customers you can take all their orders and deliver products on time again? It's such a huge mountain to climb, but don’t fear, here is how you can complete an impossible mission.

Clear and clean the area

The virus is very tricky to deal with. Not only does it stay on surfaces for up to 48 hours, but it can travel through the air. Thus, your entire office, from your HVAC units to your floors needs to be cleaned. To be more exact you need to make every inch of your office sterile. Use Specialised Cleaning and Disinfection Services to achieve a 100% coverage and leave no stone unturned. This is a service specifically for COVID-19. It's a preventative measure which will catch, trap and kill any and all viruses. Whether it's on a surface or in the air, the entire office will be cleared and cleaned. The key is to stop surface-to-person transmission, so every little thing from phones, keyboards, door handles and even toilet flushes, need to be disinfected. Once you have done this, you’ll get a certificate of completion and safety, which you can present to employees to make them feel safer.

A strict standard

The very first day your employees arrive back to work, you should present a stern leadership. Write a short speech, to sum up, the entire ordeal and what your plans are for the future, at ground level. Consider talking about the hardships your employees have faced. Speak about how financially crushing and difficult it has been for the business and for the workers. You have both been in it together, in the same boat, and now you will climb out of the hole as a team! These are the types of sentiments you need to start your speech off with.

Then, speak about the safety measures you have put in place. This is a strict standard which everyone must adhere to or face disciplinary action. Those who don’t wipe surfaces after they have touched their face will be putting everyone in danger. Make sure you encourage everyone to bring sanitizer with them to work, and wet wipes. Try to deliver this next point with humility and genuine sincerity. Those who don’t follow safety standards may be sent home without pay. This is difficult but employees will be proud of your tough stance because they are conscious of their colleagues potentially infecting them.

To prevent employees from turning on each other, you must be the standard-bearer of safety. Make a speech to show everyone you are serious about getting up and running again, but that you’re not willing to take health risks.