There are numerous protocols to implement for providing safety measures for you, your team and your clients. Value your team by encouraging your employees to help enforce your policies and procedures properly and promptly.
Here are five ways to protect your Denver Metro area small business during the COVID-19 pandemic:
1. Reduce Meetings and Travel to Limit Exposure
As an airborne virus, person-to-person spread occurs during close contact (within six feet) with an infected person. Colorado state guidelines advise us to limit as much in-person contact as possible. But communication and cooperation are key to a successful business relationship. Reduce your meetings and travel by encouraging telecommuting and remote work. Ensure that your team is equipped with the appropriate technology to attend virtual meetings and phone conferences instead.
Today, it is especially easy to find free or low-cost, user-friendly video conferencing applications and instant messaging chatrooms. Whichever virtual and remote technology your small business decides to deploy, be sure to consult with your business attorney for the most confidential and secure protocols, as virtual solutions may be suspectable to hackers and other threats.
2. Prioritize Safety and Hygiene Practices
Mandate that everyone in your business wears a mask and maintain a safe six-foot social distance. Keep your employees safe by providing physical barriers between them if possible. This restructuring will help employees to feel safer and better protected against COVID-19.
The COVID-19 virus can be transmitted by touching surfaces or objects that are already contaminated and then touching one’s mouth, nose, or eyes. Conveniently locate hand sanitizer and disinfecting products for your employees to use. Additionally signage makes it easier for employees and visitors to remember to wash their hands frequently.
3. Be Transparent in Customer Communication
Publicize your mandates and protocols around COVID-19 to your employees and customers. Inform them of the precautions you and your team are taking to safeguard yourselves and your customers.
Post your policy and any relevant state and federal regulations flyers on the door of your business, and publish your policy clearly on the landing page of your website so visitors are immediately informed. Making social media announcements about the new procedures and accommodations you are making for your customers is also a good way to notify your customers.
4. Create a Contingency Plan for Flexible Staffing Needs and Crisis Mitigation
Creating a contingency plan for flexible staffing and crisis mitigation is key to running a business during a pandemic. Have a coherent plan to mitigate any crisis, expected or unexpected, that may arise, like if you need to send employees home and operate at half occupancy in the office.
Plans should include encouraging and enabling your employees to work from home if they are experiencing symptoms or are sick. If an employee has been in close contact with someone exhibiting symptoms or who tested positive, insist that they stay home. Make appropriate accommodations for high-risk employees.
Be open to creating a new schedule for employees. Experiment with limited shifts or store hours. Also, consider giving buffer time between shifts to ensure enough time to properly clean and sanitize indoor and shared spaces.
Business lawyers specialize in dealing with any issue that arises. Navigating business relations and COVID-19 protocols have proven to be a challenge for businesses of all sizes. A business attorney trained in transactional work will know exactly how to address all your concerns and protect your business before anything happens.
Call Hackstaff, Snow, Atkinson & Griess, LLC today for a free consultation at (303) 534-4317.
