The global pandemic has come with many lessons for employers and employees alike. From the ways we work and interact to the way we do business, Covid-19 has changed the shape of the global market and global economy. While some changes are likely here to stay, others might fade after the pandemic lifts. For four ways to make your office safer and different after the pandemic, read on.

 

1. Implementing Wellness Programs

Covid-19 has taught us all about the importance of good health and healthy behaviors. For this reason, many companies in the United States are considering offering wellness programs to encourage employees to live healthier lifestyles. While a wellness program certainly can't prevent a pandemic or counteract a virus, it's a great way to make employee health a top priority in any company.

Wellness programs come in many shapes and forms. Some offer in-person or online training around topics like how to manage high blood pressure, why physical activity is important to maintaining healthy blood pressure, and more. The benefit of these programs is twofold. Wellness programs will not only improve the quality of life for employees but can mean a reduction in absenteeism for employers, too.

 

2. Offering Employee Incentives

Some employee wellness plans include incentive programs for employees who meet various wellness goals. Other companies are choosing to use incentive plans alone to encourage a happier work environment and increase productivity. If you're looking to boost morale at your company, one way to do it is through a basic incentive program.

Incentive programs vary but most commonly include rewards to employees who meet productivity or other goal quotas. Incentives can range from bonuses or trips to the most productive workers or could be something like a gift card or membership to a local spa.

 

3. Using Hybrid Models

The pandemic has taught employees and employers alike that work can be done from home. In fact, many employers are finding they can save money with a combination of remote and hybrid workers. Not only does this make an office safer, but offers employees the luxury of being able to work on their own schedules.

One way to boost employee morale is to make offices more flexible after the pandemic. Instead of traditional workweeks, allowing employees to use a hybrid model of work both in the office and at home will reduce the number of employee absences and low morale.

 

4. Maintaining Safety around Germs

For businesses where employees need to work in the office, a great idea is to maintain some of the safety procedures your business has likely put in place since Covid-19. Whether this is as simple as providing employees with the ability to sanitize regularly or in changing how shifts and gatherings are scheduled, the pandemic has shown us there are ways to keep the risk of germs down.

In offering employees the ability to work more safely, employers will see another reduction in absences. With employees sick less often through easy and convenient protections like time out for sanitization, changes in break or lunchroom sets ups, and so on, employers will see a benefit from these small changes, too. When looking at how to make your office space safer from germs, consider things as simple as how desks are arranged and consider adding cubicles or other partitions.

The pandemic has changed how we'll work forever. There are few silver linings to Covid-19. What we can take from it are the lessons we've learned about ways we can come together to protect each other. From valuing connections to thinking creatively and putting a new emphasis on health and safety in the workplace, there are changes employers and employees alike can think about making now to ensure a brighter future post-Covid-19.