You can see it coming during every press conference the governor or president does. It’s the inevitable question of when normal activities will resume and how we can know it’s time to send people back to their jobs, schools, and do things that we miss doing.
It comes from the right place, one of optimism, and a desire to see things back to “normal” - whatever that might mean in the post-COVID-19 world.
But the best answer is the same answer no one wants to hear – we don’t know. And we may not know for a while. That’s the COVID-19 dance, for lack of a better term, and it’s the most frustrating thing about this pandemic. It’s much like what I tell my children most of the time when they ask for something … “We’ll see.”
In short, we will return to work when we return to health, and your readiness to return will be crucial to bouncing back. It’s realistic to expect a return to “semi-normal” long before we ever get to normal, or a new normal. A far more significant question than “when” we open up the country, state, county, or city for business again, though, is what will business owners have to do once they are approved to do so. That’s a question that demands your thought and action now.
The answer to this question is unique to every business. Churches, restaurants, meeting rooms, and bars are places where people congregate in large numbers, so restrictions will be tougher to manage for those owners. Offices will have different looks to them, and employees should get familiar with temperature scans, meeting through technology, and other measures to keep illnesses down.
Consider these questions before we get to the semi-normal:
- Even though you can re-open, how should you re-open? Should you do a gradual re-open? Can you do it and make enough money to sustain your business? Small gatherings will be the norm as we emerge from the stay-at-home order, and safe practices will be around for a long time.
- What are your essential business needs? How will you provide for those needs while creating a safe and healthy experience for you and your employees? Can you get the things you may need (PPE, temperature scanners, etc.) to achieve that climate? Is child care an issue for your employees?
- What do your customers need from you? How will you do everything in your power to create a safe and healthy environment for them? Do you need to limit people in your business? If so, how many can be inside at one time? Can you do business by appointment or call ahead?
These are just a few questions to help you start the thought process behind returning to work in the future. Suzanne Clark, of the U.S. Chamber,
has some more specific things
to think about in advance of that day, some time down the road when we return to our businesses.
Let us know how we can help, or if you have some ideas that you are implementing, send them our way to help us share best practices.
