As restrictions begin to ease and the return to work is evitable, many of us may wonder how we will be protected in the workplace from the spread of COVID-19. Whilst Hot-Desking may be out the door for now at least, our new normal will see some big changes affect the Sydney workspace. But as an employer, how can you help protect not only yourself but also your staff and customers? In managing the return to work, guidance can be sort from the Morrison government’s release of the 10 ‘National COVID-19 Safe Workplace Principles’ announced on 24 April 2020. These guidelines will help in managing, work health and safety (WHS) risks in light of the serious health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces/other-resources/national-covid-19-safe-workplace-principles
Work, Health, Safety & Risk Management Post COVID-19
Assessment of your Sydney workspace will help determine what measures you need to put into place to ensure a safe workspace. Its time to critically think about what our workspace will look like post restrictions now that the curve has sufficiently flattened to start entertaining the idea of return to work in our new normal.
This new normal from a workplace and employment perspective will include some serious issues for which employers will need to start preparing. The real ability of management to effectively respond to a post-COVID-19 environment is in no doubt linked to critical planning. Whilst this planning phase should involve the obvious of what we do in the short term, many will also consider split employer rosters, a continuation of working from home, abolishing hot-desking, an increase in office cleaning following change over of employee shifts and implementing precautionary COVID-19 workplace guards. Although the implementation of any new business-related expenses can be costly, the time to purchase much-needed items is now with the government offer to increase tax write off from $30K to $150K until the end of June 2020. https://duvalcomm.wpengine.com/government-incentive-to-help-australian-business/
There is a certainty that an increase in COVID-19 Best Practice is on the cards given the current global climate. During this time, the certainty is that to survive, businesses will also need to manage the longer term business goals. Management will need to shape up to work, health and safety risks as they are identified and managed in an attempt to be one step ahead of any employment related issues post COVID-19.
