How can safe distances be maintained in an office?

Maintaining a safe distance in an office is essential during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep you and your co-workers safe. The Coronavirus spreads rapidly from person to person via respiratory droplets after someone coughs or sneezes. For that reason, it is necessary to practice proper social distancing techniques in the cube farm and break rooms at all times. This means 6 feet apart between everyone, no close contact like handshakes or hugs, staying home when sick, and practicing proper hygiene. Being self-aware helps with remembering to participate in social distancing at the workplace, it is an ongoing action that will eventually become an ingrained habit for people.

It can be a little difficult to police social distancing efforts in a packed and bustling office, but there are strategies that make it easier for employees to stick to those social distancing guidelines given by the CDC.

Employers can do any of the following:

• Allow all or a portion of employees to work from home
• Implement staggered work shifts to minimize contact with others
• Increase the physical space between employees in the office, AKA move some desks around or remove some
• Increase the space between employees and customers
• Postpone gatherings and meetings or hold them online
• Downsize production
• Services that would have been normally done in person could be held via video or on the phone.

If even some of these things are done, that is still a big step in helping prevent the Coronavirus from spreading from person to person in an office space. Some of these strategies can even be applied to other essential businesses if needed.