Part 3 - Let's Mull over on "Pandemic Resistant Workplace"

This is the most critical aspect of the journey. These are not the times that people have gone on a holiday and returning to jump start. It is important to understand that for almost a month and more, people have confined themselves within the walls of their homes. While it may be a fact that people would have spent quality time with the family, let us all agree to identify that it was a "lock-down too" for the free spirit of the human being that always wanted to go around in its own style when the life was taking them through its busiest ways.

On the flip side, this lock-down also raised many weak corners in the hearts of the people, inhibitions about their safety, work security, earning continuity etc. As such, our preparations should send across a positive sign and hope to all those returning aspirants.

In the light of the above, it is imperative that we have to think and work on the following aspects:

1. What should be done to the premises before the employees look up to that the horizon's gateway that makes them re-experience their bio-metrics, their interim breaks & gossiping around for a while?
2. What are the various steps to be taken to make the workplace ready for the people to move in?
3. Which aspects of workplace has to be prioritized in setting the work momentum?
4. What kind of care has to be in place to make the workplace safe and secured to employees on their return?
5. Who should be the 1st lot of people to walk-in to the workplace?

While the above questions seems to be in-depth in perspective, the answers are quite simple and are presented here for us to mull over.

• Step up the hygiene and cleaning measures on site and think about waste management recycling in whatever small way possible
• Open all the windows & explore more options to bring in more outdoor air and light into the buildings so that it will naturally help in killing / diluting airborne contaminants / settled infections at the workplace (due to darkness, non-cleaning etc. for all these days)
• Sanitize the workplace just as our municipal teams have sanitized our living places during lock down
• In the process and if need, temporarily defer the use of certain work spaces duly working on a remote-working plan (this part was discussed in Part 2 of this article series)
• Explore the options of economical investment in technology - sensors, air quality and occupancy indicators across the facilities and review it periodically for the next 3 - 4 weeks time after opening

The Admn, HR, F & A and Supply Chain teams should be the 1st lot of teams who should reach out to the workplaces when the doors are re-opened. They should be the "Employee Doctors" in ensuring that a healthy and clean workplace is ready for the rest of the team to follow.

ABOVE ALL - Communicate about these initiatives to all our stake holders through various channels / medium of communication.

Please add on if you have any more preparatory list Keep watching this space......Dr. Shankar Anappindi | 9849669966 | [email protected]