Safe Business Practice Tips During & After Covid

With the variants of Covid-19 putting many countries on high alert, it’s welcoming news that many businesses are now opening up, albeit to a new normal.

While this is an exciting time to get back to business, it is uncertain, too, as Covid-19 has not been beaten. Many people and business owners are still anxious and concerned about their jobs and the future of the business.

If you’re operating a business, you may find the following tips useful.

Maintain Open Communication

Even though we have lived with the covid pandemic for well over a year, it’s still important to keep the lines of communication open with your staff and your customers.

There is still a great deal of uncertainty out there, so as a business, you must reach out to your customers regularly and let them know that you care. This also applies to your staff, especially if some are now returning to the office after a long period of working at home.

Whatever situation you’re in, make sure you’re listening and communicating with customers and staff as much as possible.

Provide Additional Support

While many people are excited and eager to return to a more ‘normal’ work environment. However, just how that will transpire is concerning, and everyone wants to know they will be safe in the workplace.

For now, workers want to work from home for the foreseeable future. Adjusting to full time in the office will take some getting used to, and its impact has been felt even among the big brands like Google and Microsoft.

It’s hard to argue that being around people doesn’t increase the risk of catching Covid-19. Therefore it’s important to assess what issues your staff may have and how you can support them. Whether you’re employing 5 or 500 staff, it’s important to realise your responsibility as an employer to provide additional support for all your workers.

For example, for staff whose native tongue isn’t English giving them access to healthcare translation services. Remember, healthcare has its own jargon, and non-native English speakers will find it harder to understand vital healthcare requirements to stay safe from Covid-19 and the spread of the virus.

Another way to support your staff is to consider more flexible work hours. No matter what it is, there are always things you can do to help your staff feel safe and supported.

Stay Informed

As restrictions begin to ease around many parts of the world, it’s still important to stay informed about any potential changes. This includes rules around social distancing in the office, as well as any regulations around product delivery and how you conduct your services.

Staying informed is also vital during this period, as you could end up with a hefty fine if you unknowingly break the rules. While reading the news is one way of staying informed, the most accurate and up-to-date information can be found on government websites or public health department sites.

Focus on Your Customers

With so many changes occurring over the last year due to covid, it’s also an excellent time to rethink your approach to your customers. This includes reassessing what they want or need and finding new ways to connect with them.

Your customers may also want additional support during this time of uncertainty, so take the time to build better and closer relationships with them. As part of this, you may want to improve your customer service offerings and find improved ways of delivering the best service possible.

As the world slowly opens again, take time to evaluate what’s worked and what hasn’t and find new ways to move forward and make your customers happy.

Summary

The way businesses will operate across virtually every industry imaginable will be changed in some way due to the effects of covid-19. Work routines and worker expectations have moved, and as an employer, you can provide reassurance, flexibility and a covid-19 health policy to ensure the workplace is safe.

Supporting workers with communication, information and listening to their concerns will assure them their safety is top of your mind.