4 considerations for coordinating a safe return to the office

The pandemic has created a constantly shifting landscape that requires constant monitoring and a willingness to be nimble and flexible.

Return to work efforts and timing will depend on a variety of factors, including the percentage of employees vaccinated, community rates of COVID19, local and federal public health policies, and other variables. (Credit: Andrey Popov/stock.adobe.com)

With COVID-19 cases decreasing across much of the U.S. and the number of fully vaccinated people continuing to rise, many businesses with employees who have been working remotely for the past year are beginning to plan for reopening their offices. It’s unlikely to be business as usual, however, as employers must navigate evolving public health policies while balancing employees’ with the priorities of the business.

I’ve written on this topic many times over the past year and continue to counsel the 130+ employers Grand Rounds Health works with on the best approaches based on the current science. Each month, we continue to learn more about the virus, how it spreads, how effective the vaccines are (and aren’t against variants), etc. It’s a constantly shifting landscape that requires constant monitoring and a willingness to be nimble and flexible.

Dr. Tista Ghosh, MD, MPH is senior medical director at Grand Rounds. Dr. Ghosh is a physician trained in both internal medicine and preventive medicine, with her MD from Indiana University and her master’s degree in public health from Yale University. She also has had specialized training in applied epidemiology and public health practice through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She has served our country as a Lieutenant-Commander in the United States Public Health Service. Currently, she is the Senior Medical Director for Grand Rounds. 

Related: Employee benefit trends in 2021: Flexible benefits for a flexible workforce

With vaccines now widely available in the U.S, the main drivers of when and how to reopen will involve several key variables:

Here are some ways to keep tabs on these variables and prepare for returning to work:

1. Use data to know when it’s safe to reopen

Community rates of transmission will be important to keep an eye on. Have a designated person regularly scan local and state websites and news stories to keep up on the latest in your community. One tool that can help with understanding community COVID-19 rates is covidactnow.org, which supplies the latest information on the number of cases, hospitalizations and tests that have been conducted at the city, county, state and zip code levels. Employing such a tool can help shed light on the progression of this coronavirus in a particular area.

Further down the road, as the number of vaccinations increases, it will be important to take into account the prevalence (or lack) of herd immunity to COVID-19 in a particular geography. State and local health departments will be posting the amount of vaccines given in your area, on a regular basis, along with the percentage of people in the area who have received vaccines. The amount of virus circulating in the community should drop, as more and more people get vaccinated (unless a new variant arrives). Monitoring local health sites as well as local media will help businesses get a picture of how safe it is for employees to go back to work, and if so, at what capacity.

2. Encourage vaccination

Even though vaccination numbers are rising, the country is still in a race against COVID-19 variants. Variants can spread more quickly among those not yet vaccinated. In this race, quickly increasing the number of fully vaccinated people is the best way of reducing the opportunities the virus has to mutate and jump from person to person.

The wise thing for employers to do is to encourage people to get vaccinated. There are many ways to do this. For example, businesses could consider hosting vaccine clinics to make it easy and convenient for their employees to get vaccinated. Or they could make up-to-date clinical information available, through town halls and question and answer sessions with medical experts and help dispel vaccine-related myths. Some employers have offered incentives such as paid time off, cash rewards, rides to vaccine appointments, and even an extra holiday if enough employees get vaccinated. Others have tried to create a vaccine-supportive culture by showcasing employee vaccine selfies or video clips, as people are more likely to get vaccinated if they know someone else who did.

While the EEOC has said employers can require or ask for documentation on vaccines, many employers are using a voluntary approach, by asking employees to voluntarily disclose their status. Perks of vaccination, including small, indoor, no-mask gatherings with other fully vaccinated employees could help promote both vaccination and voluntary disclosure, along with the ability to travel without quarantine, avoid quarantine if exposed to COVID (and asymptomatic), etc. Highlighting the latest CDC guidance for the fully vaccinated can help employers determine perks and encourage vaccination.

3. Prepare the workplace

Preparing the physical workspace is important for keeping employees safe. Distancing and mask rules will largely need to be in place to protect the unvaccinated, though that may change as higher percentages of the population become vaccinated. Designate a person in your office to keep track of employee vaccination rates (whether through voluntary disclosure or requirements), as well as the latest CDC guidelines of what vaccinated employees can do to keep your workplace up to date with the latest science and public health policies.

Keep in mind that aerosol spread of coronavirus is heightened in poorly ventilated spaces, so prepare the air in your workspace with HVAC upgrades, air filters, and open windows, and other means, before bringing employees back.

4. Prepare employees

Many people may be anxious about returning to the office. It’s important to start thinking now about how to prepare teams for their re-entry. Training managers and leaders to have conversations about COVID-19 is key to getting ready to reopen the workplace. In addition, make sure they understand all of the resources available to them through their benefits ecosystem, whether that’s through access to an Employee Assistance Program, tele-counseling, or clinical advice services that can help address concerns among employees.

Address childcare upfront. Keep tabs on whether school and childcare facilities are reopening in the area surrounding your business. If many remain closed or with reduced hours of operation, consider offering remote options or flexible hours for employees with younger children who may be impacted. This will not only reduce anxiety for these employees, but will also improve continuity of business operations.

The post-pandemic business world is new territory for everyone. Return to work efforts and timing will depend on a variety of factors, including the percentage of employees vaccinated, community rates of COVID19, local and federal public health policies, and many other variables.

The safest course of action for businesses is to continue to stay vigilant and be ready to change and proceed with public health guidance as needed if an outbreak or other circumstances change.

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