05-06-2020
As businesses worldwide contemplate and plan for reopening, many are considering what changes will need to be made to the physical space to ensure that workers can be safe while getting their jobs done. While many organizations moved toward open and collaborative workspaces in recent years, modifications will be necessary to ensure physical and emotional safety. Employers are considering the following measures:
- Plexiglass barriers between desks
- Lots of hand sanitizers, perhaps even built into desks
- Air filters the draw air up versus downward
- More outdoor spaces
- Windows that actually open
- Fewer employees at work at the same time
While these and other measures may increase safety and reduce disease transmission, research shows that one of the best ways to reduce transmission in the workplace is to provide paid sick leave that encourages ill employees to stay home.