Time to Return Back to the Office

With an attempt to slowly reopen the economy, businesses are preparing, like New York and New Jersey begin phases of its reopening plans. With months of lockdown measures, used to control the spread of COVID-19, non-essential businesses are set to begin the slow process of opening back up for business. Construction, manufacturing, wholesale and restricted retail have been given the green light to reopen during Phase 1, in New York and New Jersey with outdoor dining resuming and nonessential retail set to allow customers inside again next week.

Time to Return Back to the Office

But what can workers expect from the reopening? 

To begin with, clothing stores, office supply stores, furniture stores, etc. will be restricted to curbside pickup or in-store pickup. Consumers will not have the opportunity to wander the aisles shopping or lingering or comparing things. Instead, you can place an order and pick it up curbside. This will allow a quick transaction and limited contact between people. 

All businesses will be expected to continue following social distancing guidelines between employees. That means you will be required to maintain a distance of 6 feet between you and other employees. Businesses will only be allowed to operate at a fifty percent capacity, allowing people to spread out. And in confined areas such as elevators and around cash registers, only one person should be present at a time. 

Workplaces are encouraged to be providing employees with personal protective equipment, and daily health-care screenings. Those screenings will be in the form of a questionnaire and temperature checks. Businesses have been encouraged to mandate the use of masks for employees and customers. Masks are highly effective in preventing the spread of the virus. Another instruction related to the use of masks in New York is that private businesses have the power to turn away customers not wearing masks or face coverings.  

Time to Return Back to the Office

For businesses that need assistance in restarting safely, the city of New York will be offering support in the form of industry guides and a business restart hotline. There will be a team of small-business advocates and compliance advisers that will be able to provide in-person support.  There will also be advisory groups that are able to come in and will assess what is working, what is not working, what needs to be adjusted to help businesses open and operate safely. 

To further help and ensure a business is complying with the issued guidelines, random inspections will be conducted. These inspections will be conducted with an open mind of supporting the business. Leaders are not expecting to give fines in the first instance of a violation. They want to help out and teach when necessary. But leaders are also warning of fines for repeat or blatant offenders. 

Even with businesses being able to reopen, many have chosen to continue to allow their employees to work from home in the longer term. If you are looking to keep your employees at home longer or permanently check out this blog on tips for working remotely here. As you get started back safely in your business, don’t neglect the fact you also need quality cybersecurity measures. We are committed to finding the best IT solutions that fit the needs of your business. We also help with providing guidance and assistance if employees will be continuing to work from home too!

Time to Return Back to the Office

We do not just about keep your technology functional – we want to work with you to show you that your IT can give you exciting new ways to connect with your clients, collaborate with your staff, and streamline the daily work you need to do. We will give you a solid foundation of security and preparation, using proactive solutions to catch problems before they start and eliminate downtime and disruption for your business. Contact us today, for your free consultation. 

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