Communication, health, and safety: Workplace reopening and more

Businesses should uphold the ethical, moral, and legal responsibility of keeping their employees safe and healthy during a pandemic. Without safeguarding the health and safety of employees, returning to the workplace would be impossible. Company leaders must recognize their duty to provide necessary safety protocols to resume operations.

Returning to onsite work requires a thorough analysis of who should be called back to work, what kind of operations should run in the office, and how employees will be kept safe in an uncertain work climate. The pandemic has forced business leaders to rethink the work options they offer to their employees. If sales meetings were thought to strictly be conducted face-to-face, requesting a client to meet in person nowadays might put a brand in hot water.

Avoid asking employees to report to the workplace without clear and concise communication of everything that will take place. Allow for questions and oppositions. Some may have different perceptions of the situation, instead of cutting off connections with employees who disagree with returning to the workplace, strengthening communication lines, and engaging in productive dialogues. A company still must support its workers even during a global health crisis where markets crash.

When employees' needs are honored and delivered, they are more likely to pledge their support to the company's decision to return to the workplace. It's incredibly important for company leaders to address employees' emotions on a deeper level in times of distress. For more practical advice, businesses are compelled to provide returning employees with "welcome back" kits that include face masks, hand sanitizers, and tools that help press buttons and hold doors.

Gene Bernshtam of Avalon Holdings LLC has spent many years in the commercial real estate investment and development industry. He believes that good work ethic is critical to success. For more updates, head over to this page.