The Irish Government approved a revised roadmap for reopening businesses on Friday. This revision means that most activity has now been boosted to Phase 3 of the roadmap, and begins on June 29th.
Phase 3 will see churches and places of worship, gyms, cinemas, leisure facilities, hairdressers and barber shops open; as well as all sporting activities, including close contact sports, recommencing for adults and children.
This is only possible thanks to the continued efforts of the Irish people to keep transmission levels low by keeping to the social distancing guidelines, wearing face coverings where appropriate, and sanitizing hands regularly.
With the accelerated roadmap in mind, you may be returning to work in the coming days. We understand that returning to work onsite may seem stressful during these times, however we have done the groundwork for our client workforce to ensure that getting back to this “new normal” can be done safely and efficiently.
Advice from the government gives workers 4 easy guidelines to remember upon their return to “new normal”.
Distance: Always try to stay 2 metres apart from someone else if possible.
Activity: Wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering on public transport or in a crowded indoor space
Time: The amount of time you spend with a person or group increases your risk
Environment: Always bear in mind that a closed, poorly ventilated indoor space is much riskier than being outdoors.
In his speech on Friday, Leo Varadkar said:
“Taking personal responsibility means not entering a place if you see it is packed. It means leaving somewhere, even if you are having a good time, if you have been there for too long. It means exercising judgement and self-control for your own sake, but also for the collective good.”
Employers will need to keep this in mind when asking workers to return to the office, and should allow people to work from home where possible in a way that keeps workers connected.
Here at Element 78, Edel Flynn is encouraging the phased return of client workforce to our offices:
“Element78 are open for business and we have introduced measures to protect our staff and clients in line with government guidelines. We are a Covid-19 compliant site,”
“We are encouraging a phased return for client staff. Many have been working from home, but we are now encouraging a combined work from home/in office approach for teams where they are comfortable to do so,”
“Staff considerations need to be taken into account with this approach: Businesses should consider if staff are feeling socially disconnected from colleagues; if virtual collaboration is less effective than face to face collaboration; if there is a lack of visibility of what projects colleagues and wider teams are working on; or a lack of quick accessibility to decision makers/colleagues,”
“Working together with staff is paramount for maintaining professional relationships during this reopening time.”