Views 3 strategies employers can utilize when reopening their offices post-COVID

While most employers are envisioning daily symptom monitoring (86.8%) and temperature checks in the office (57.9%) as a part of their return-to-office strategy, many haven’t yet implemented anything. While it’s one thing to set a goal, expectations cannot be met without the right tools and resources. While we are in the early stages of vaccine distribution and many employees remain remote, employers have a window of opportunity to test drive screening tools to determine which would work best for their office environment. Employers should also use this time to determine what they will need to make the office safe. This can include glass partitions, a bigger office space or something else entirely, it’s important to map out exactly what is needed.

While we wait for enough Americans to receive the vaccine for us to safely re-engage with society again, testing is the most effective way of preventing spread in the workplace. Any employer that is serious about re-opening safely should strongly consider a strategy for regularly testing their employees. Many employers have already made testing a part of their return-to-work protocol, and there are resources available for those who wish to do so, but don’t know where to start. For example, the NIH recently released a tool to help businesses determine costs associated with testing their population enough to safely re-open.