The business world has shifted drastically in the course of one year, thanks to the pandemic. Apart from the need to reevaluate your company’s core services and business model, there’s also the increased demand for better and safer workplaces. Your employees and clients need to be sure that you’re adapting well to the new normal if they are to support your brand, and nothing exhibits that better than your office and brick-and-mortar stores.
It can be challenging to reevaluate your overhead expenses at first, but when you know the new normal demands of your business, it becomes easier to come up with solutions. Here are five of the biggest expenses you’ll have to accommodate in 2021 if you want to grow a pandemic-proof business.
Remote Work Platforms
Flexibility is a must in every company today, regardless of industry. Even with the vaccine being distributed globally, there’s no saying when governments will issue another lockdown, or stay-at-home orders will resume. As such, it’s integral that your company invest in remote work platforms that will enable you to shift from one work set-up to another overnight.
It will also enable you to trim the number of people on site down to your key players. Doing so will give these people fewer causes for uncertainty in the office, and they’ll be able to work more productively.
Professional Cleaning
Granted, you’ve stepped up your efforts to clean and sanitize since your office reopened. That doesn’t mean, though, that you’ve significantly reduced the risks in your environment. Without the proper gear, products, and strategy, your cubicles and doorknobs can still carry traces of infectious diseases.
The best way to guarantee the safety of your workplace is to hire professional commercial cleaning. The USA has reputable providers you can rely on. Opt for those that offer disinfecting services specifically for COVID-19, and book them regularly. The ideal time to let them work is on weekends so that your staff will start their workweek with the assurance that no virus is waiting for them on their desk.
Health Screening
A health screening should be performed for anybody working on site before stepping into the office or the building itself. You already have an idea of how this is performed, as many commercial properties already have protocols in places such as questionnaires and temperature checks.
Your screening will likely be similar. Install a no-touch thermometer outside of your office, and have personnel in proper gear note the temperature of each staff who enters. You can set up additional equipment to reinforce the safety of your workplace, such as foot baths and no-touch hand sanitizers. You can make them answer online questionnaires, too, to help them reflect on their health and possible exposure to infected individuals.
A screening, however, is only effective when you receive your employees’ full compliance. This is where having remote work platforms and policies prove the most important. When they know that they can work from home if they’re not sure of their health, they are more likely to be honest in these daily screenings.
Improved Ventilation
Now more than ever, people are wary of staying in enclosed spaces for long. This is why it’s a good idea to invest in certain renovations like window replacements. Bigger windows offer the advantage of better airflow, which then reduces the likelihood of particles being passed on from one employee to another.
If you have a balcony or an outdoor space you can utilize, it’s worth investing in constructing a collaborative area. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does have to be comfortable and conducive to work. There are inexpensive options in the market for shade and outdoor furniture that will make this refurbishment more budget-friendly to install and maintain.
Protective Gear
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to see that your employees are wearing the appropriate protective gear in the workplace. This can be a hefty expense for them, especially if they work on-site five to six days a week. To lessen their load and ensure their safety, keeping a supply of the basic protective gear is essential. Think surgical masks, gloves, shoe covers, and face shields.
A Different Kind of Expensive
While there are avenues to reduce costs during the pandemic, new expenses must be addressed if you want to continue being operational. That said, these are investments that you won’t regret making, especially when you see how much better they enable you to cope with the new normal.
