“The show must go on” and so do our work responsibilities. While this shift to remote work may not be a major transition for some organizations, we recognize that for others, staying secure and productive during this critical time can be a challenge. Whitaker is still at 100% productivity, since we started offering remote work opportunities a few years ago to certain positions, our employees were prepared to work remotely and have tested our systems for maximum productivity.
For those that are still reporting onsite, below are a few OSHA guidelines to implement now, if you haven’t done so already:
- Explore whether you can establish flexible worksites or work hours to practice social distancing. Establish alternating days or extra shifts that reduce the total number of employees in a facility at a given time, allowing them to maintain distance from one another while maintaining a full onsite work week.
- Encourage sick workers to stay at home.
- Promote personal hygiene: frequent hand washing, cover your cough and sneezes and discourage sharing cell phones. Additionally, disinfect any shared surfaces between shifts: control panels, computer terminals, desks, chairs, tools, etc.
- Minimize contact among workers, clients, and customers by replacing face-to-face meetings with virtual communications and implementing telework if feasible.
- Discontinue nonessential travel to locations with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks. Regularly check CDC travel warning levels at: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers.
- Develop emergency communications plans, including a forum for answering workers’ concerns and internet-based communications, if feasible.
- Provide workers with up-to-date education and training on COVID-19 risk factors and protective behaviors (e.g., cough etiquette and care of PPE).
- Train workers who need to use protecting clothing and equipment how to put it on, use/wear it, and take it off correctly.
We are still working our normal hours, scheduling interviews, helping candidates with resume preparation, helping clients identify top talent for their organization. So, we remain optimistic and we encourage each and every one of you to do the same. Do your part, follow the recommendations, and let’s get back to normal. We’ve weathered the storms of 1981/1982, 1986, 2008/2009, and 2014 and we can do it again.
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” Robert H. Schuller. We are talking daily with Managers and Directors and understand the severity and time-sensitive tasks you face. How can Whitaker help you?
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Working from home is a privilege that requires additional responsibilities. Just like being your own boss, it comes with it an additional layer of management that you need to carefully manage.