Business owners have a lot on their plate right now.
Many are dealing with the nearly six months of the coronavirus pandemic and its many effects on the economy and employees.
Some businesses may just now be getting back to work, and they’re trying to figure out how to balance employee and customer health and safety with business and economic needs.
According to a recent survey about COVID in the workplace, “Protecting Workers vs. Employers,” 72% of respondents said they would report a colleague for not following COVID-19 protocols.
Even so, it can be difficult for businesses to find that balance between enforcing protocols both on the part of employees and customers and managing the individual rights of the people in the business. Plus, we’re at a time when many employers don’t want to create an aggressive or hostile environment, even though they know they need to ensure social distancing in their business.
The following are some things business owners should know about implementing and enforcing social distancing right now.
Have Clear Guidelines
You should create clear, specific guidelines for social distancing that apply to your employees and your customers. Make sure they’re posted.
Inform customers of these guidelines on your social media or through email blasts, so they know what to expect.
Train your employees on your guidelines, and let them have input as far as what’s specifically done to ensure they feel comfortable. When employees are part of the decision-making, it tends to be easier to enforce new guidelines.
If you aren’t sure where to begin, OSHA has put out guidelines on social distancing at work.
Some of the steps they recommend include:
- Encourage workers to stay home when sick
- Isolate anyone who works at the business and who starts to show signs of sickness until they can leave
- Have flexible work hours and sites whenever possible such as telecommuting options or staggered shifts
- Mark the floors so that employees and customers understand the six-feet distancing
- Stagger breaks and change common break areas to ensure social distancing can be maintained
- Encourage your workers to let you know of any safety concerns they have and provide them the means to do so anonymously
Whenever possible, consider having virtual events, such as virtual meetings.
Talk With Your Employees About the Role They’ll Play
Even if your employees are completely onboard with social distancing, there’s an issue many businesses are facing, which is how to deal with customers who aren’t compliant. It’s become a tricky issue, and there have been instances of physical violence when employees try to enforce things like mask-wearing.
Ultimately, it’s not your employees’ job to enforce mask-wearing or social distancing.
Set guidelines as to how far you’d like your employees to go, but it shouldn’t be too far. A gentle reminder to customers should be as much as you ask of your employees when it comes to enforcement.
Base enforcement primarily on signs and announcements as much as you can.
You can also do some roleplaying with your employees who most often interact with the public, and see how they might handle various scenarios where distancing isn’t being followed.
The fewer circumstances your employees face with non-compliant customers the better, so this can mean that you do things differently in your business.
For example, can you move more of your business online? Can you offer curbside or delivery service? Can you do more things outside?
All of these reduce the need to have to enforce various elements of social distancing, which can relieve some of the stress and burden on your employees.
It’s really important as far as other employees that you let your employees know how and when to report a situation that isn’t reflective of compliance.
Employees need to know that first, you want them to come forward. Second, they need to know they can do it without fear of retaliation or without others knowing it was them.
Behavioral Psychology
What businesses need to remember is that behavioral psychology tells us a lot of what we need to know about changing someone’s behavior, even if they’re initially resistant.
Three conditions need to be in place and knowing these conditions can be helpful to enforce social distancing with employees as well.
These conditions are first that people know what to do, then why to do it, and then they need to see other people doing it.
The more consistency and clarity you can offer as a business owner, the more likely people are to comply.
You don’t want to treat your employees or customers like they’re stupid or uncaring because that’s a good way to actually get people to do the opposite of what you want. Instead, you want to frame it in a way that’s positive and motivating.
Be Willing to Shift Policies
A lot of businesses and employees are overwhelmed by what’s going on right now with coronavirus.
People have mixed feelings, and many are happy to return to work but may be somewhat nervous or apprehensive.
It’s important that you take the situation bit-by-bit.
If you have a social distancing protocol in place that isn’t working in your business, don’t be afraid to change it.
Your employees will appreciate your willingness to evaluate and re-evaluate as needed.
It’s really important that none of your rules or guidelines are arbitrary, because employees need to know the why behind everything that you’re doing.
Overall, having clear guidelines but being flexible enough to change them, asking for employee input, and ensuring your employees are comfortable to come forward with concerns are all integral to enforcing social distancing your business.
Don’t put employees in an unsafe position to enforce distancing, however.
It’s better to motivate both your customers and employees through positivity and showing them the right things to do.
When you have social distancing in place, it makes for not only a safer and happier workplace, but it’s also going to help your customers feel more comfortable.
