There is no doubt the Business world took a major hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter what the size of a company or industry, each one suffered from losing a chunk of revenue in some way. During these unprecedented times, employers have countless questions on how to keep their businesses afloat. And in an attempt to salvage the economy, the Philippine government announced transitions to general community quarantine and even the complete lifting of community quarantine for a few chosen cities. As businesses jump on the opportunity to reopen, you may be wondering about reopening business guidelines to keep your employees and customers safe and informed. If you want to gain insight into how to open your business today, check out this article!

Follow Your City Regulations

Depending on the type of business you operate in, your city government unit may come up with specific industry policies based on the best recommendations from public health officials. For example, your city may give out instructions regarding strict social distancing and sanitation protocols, as well as require employees and customers to wear face masks in your area and also in your industry.

If you understand the city’s regulations and guidelines for your industry, you will be able to create a reopening strategy that induces trust and confidence among your customers, partners, and employees.

Promote General Hygiene Practices

As a business owner, your main concern should be the health and safety of your employees and customers. All business industries, including retailing, restaurants, construction, startup companies, and even big corporations, must take the necessary measures to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus on-site.

Think about how you can best communicate and impose frequent and proper handwashing. Remember to also encourage sneezing and coughing etiquette when your employees return to work.

Evaluate your business’s cleaning and sanitation protocols right now. Do you need to upgrade your protocols to further impose practices in reducing the spread of the virus? Do you need more information on how you can help your employees maintain those practices? You may need to order more cleaning products for employees to use during working hours and performing routine environment cleaning and sanitation. In addition, alcohol and hand sanitizers should be readily available for customers and worksite visitor’s use.

Wear Protective Face Masks 

The virus that causes COVID-19 spreads easily and sustainably from person-to-person. It spreads through close contact with someone who is infected, through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and through touching contaminated objects and surfaces.

According to a study, even if wearing face masks does not offer complete protection from the virus, it does significantly reduce your risk of getting infected. Another study looked at coronavirus death rates in 198 countries and found that those with government policies that require people to wear face masks had lower death rates.

This is why it is important that you instruct anyone who enters your business premises to wear a mask. Opt to refuse entry to anyone who does not wear it to avoid infections.

Maintain Social Distancing

In a nutshell, the closer a person is when interacting with others, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of contracting COVID-19. With that being said, you may need to consider how your current workspace can be rearranged to encourage at least six feet of social distancing. If working from home is not possible, install physical barriers, like plastic covers, to avoid close contact between people.

Close your common spaces to avoid large gatherings and consider limiting the number of employees in the workplace. For example, during meetings, cut down the number of people required to attend or alternate teams to further encourage social distancing.

Monitor and Protect Your Employees’ Health

Develop a plan for monitoring your employees’ health, with a particular focus on COVID-19 symptoms. Screen your employees daily by providing questionnaires that assess their infection risk. Include questions regarding if they are currently experiencing any of the symptoms, if they came into close proximity with someone who has been displaying any symptoms, or if they have been on a flight or traveled outside of the Philippines.

Consider isolating employees displaying COVID-19 symptoms or telling them to remain at home and self-quarantine for 14 days. It is important that you repeatedly communicate with your employees that there are paid sick leave policies in case they feel ill.

In addition to minimizing the risk of employees’ exposure to the COVID-19 infection during their travel to work, arrange for orga­nized transportation (like shuttles), encourage carpooling, and sponsor for it.

Key Takeaway

When it comes to reopening business guidelines during this pandemic, there are factors to consider to ensure your employees and customer’s safety. No one is certain about when the pandemic will end because there is no vaccine available yet.

As of now, further preventive measures on-site must be taken. Follow the helpful steps in this article and use it to guide your business’s efforts as you gear up for the reopening of your business.