North Georgia’s Healthy Return to the Workplace
North Georgia’s Healthy Return to the Workplace
Even as states begin to reopen, the threat of COVID-19 looms in daily life. Its often difficult to get a true read on how many actual cases are occurring throughout the Metro-Atlanta area or which counties (Gwinnett, Forsyth, Lumpkin, Hall, and White) are being impacted.
The big looming questions is How will offices return to normal? Will companies go back to the office at all? Will work from home become the new norm? If there’s anything that your distracted and unproductive employees want, it’s for life to go back to the pre-pandemic world that includes the office.
So, regardless of whether your North Georgia company has taken the leap and reconverged in the workspace just yet, here are some office updates you can make when the time is right. They’ll support a healthy return to the workplace and make everyone feel more comfortable.
- Change your Georgia office reception area
Your reception area is the initial place your staff and visitors see when they walk in. Make it a place that everyone sanitizes, has their temperature taken, puts on safety equipment, and understands any specific safety instructions for your office.
- Dedicate a separate room for deliveries and visitors
One way you can eliminate the spread of germs is by eliminating contact with people or items that are constantly coming in and out of the office. Dedicate separate rooms to packages and deliveries (contactless delivery is always better!) and another one for visitors. This way, your employees can feel safe when they’re in their offices or cubicles.
- Install signs and graphics
You’ve seen the signs in the grocery store designating the distance that people should stand, or the direction people should move. This can help your office avoid crowding and reduce exposure.
Our friends at 400 Ink, located in Dawsonville, Georgia, have pre-made signs that many Georgia offices and buildings are purchasing.
- Add a keycard-operated automatic door
Doors are always high-touch surfaces that need to be constantly sanitized. If possible, install keycard-operated automatic doors that can eliminate the need for risky surfaces to be touched at all. Our modular and demountable walls are additional solutions, much like doors, in creating separate spaces for employees to work and reducing access.
- Divide break areas and spread out pantries
The break area was formerly where everyone gathered. This obviously isn’t the best idea anymore, so instead create smaller break areas and spread out the pantries across the office so fewer people use each. Consider using and adding COVID workstation screens and panels throughout the office to protect your employees & visitors.
- Upgrade HVAC systems
Because COVID-19 particles spread through the air, HVAC systems should be upgraded before offices reopen.
- Add COVID-19 protection shields between desks
Adding COVID-19 protection shields between desks can help ensure that employees remain safe at work. These are quick to install and provide an easy fix in most cases.
- Add wall-mounted monitors and cameras in conference rooms
Since many offices will incorporate a hybrid remote work policy, having monitors and cameras in conference rooms can help you stay ahead of the game. This digital collaboration will serve you well whether you’re communicating internally or externally.
- Build “phone booths”
This is along the same line of thought as the conference room. It provides a space for employees to collaborate with clients or coworkers who are remote. Just encourage cleanliness with sanitizing wipes or other materials.
- Rethink your Georgia office furniture
Most offices aren’t built in a COVID-19-friendly manner. You may need to rearrange your North Georgia office’s furniture, cubicles, or desks to ensure that they’re six feet apart and promote social distancing. You may also opt to replace your current office furniture with those that are easier to clean as well.
Final thoughts
While the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for offices around the world, Interior Contract Services is here to help. As the top Georgia Office furniture provider for several years, we’re ready to help you with all your office needs during this time. Whether you’re installing COVID-19 protections shields or reorganizing parts of your office, don’t hesitate to visit us at www.georgiaoffice.com or call us at 678-851-6307.
Georgia Office Interiors & Interior Contract Services are the Southeast’s Most Trusted office furniture dealers.
Check out our latest advertisement featured in the Dawson County News and Forsyth County News this month