Is It Safe To Go Back To Work During COVID-19 Delta Variant?

While the world began to recover from the dreaded Coronavirus (SARS CoV-2), a new variant has reared its ugly head upon the world: the Delta Variant. This virus strain is more contagious than the common cold or influenza and can even be passed along from individuals who have received a full dose of the virus.

With the world beginning to open up and return to some form of normalcy, this strain is starting to strike and sweep throughout the nation, threatening to disrupt our way of life again. There are already calls to re-instate mask mandates, locking down public events along with some states even taking the steps to lockdown and require individuals to have the vaccination before attending movies, restaurants, and other public gatherings.

As a business owner, this has to be difficult to accept since, for many, customers/patrons are the lifeblood of their establishments. Just as the consumers are vital to their success, so is the staff that they employ.

The question then becomes for many SBO (small business owners) when the right time to have staff return to working on-site is? Is it safer to continue to work remotely? Here are some of the facts to take into consideration before making that critical decision.

Understand That The Delta Strain Is HIGHLY Contagious

One of the things to realize is that the Delta strain is that transmission rate is far more than the original or Alpha variant. According to Yale University, 80% of all new COVID-19 cases are of the delta variant, and it will shortly become the dominant strain that we will need to worry about. Many factors, including mass gatherings, have been attributed to this rapid growth. Studies show that a carrier of the original strain of coronavirus would only infect 2.5 people, whereas the new strain, one person, can infect up to 4 people at a time.

Even though the number may seem low if you consider that one person can affect up to four, those numbers begin to add up, and mass transmission becomes unavoidable. Remember that these numbers are based on a person not wearing a mask and going around unvaccinated. Many individuals are asymptomatic and don’t even realize it, posing a severe risk to those around them.

People Who Aren’t Vaccinated Are At A Much Greater Risk.

With all of the information at our disposal, many people still don’t believe that the virus is real or that there is some type of conspiracy with the government, so they choose not to receive the vaccine. Many individuals in southern states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Georgia, etc.) refuse to get the vaccine here in the United States. Some of these states have even begun to open up fully, making the general public more susceptible to being infected because, at the time, their numbers were low.

Children and younger people are more at risk for catching the Delta variant (ages 5-12) because (as of this writing) there is no vaccine for them to receive. Along with a lack of vaccination for children, this variant seems to affect children the most.

Depending on where you live and the number of vaccinated people, this factor can also determine how rapidly the virus will spread in your community, affecting your business. The last thing you want is to have a staff member unknowingly infect another staff member or customer.

Proper sanitation of your business can help fight against the virus. The professionals at PROS Make Ready Sanitizing Services will eliminate all forms of the virus with its patented electrostatic fogging process.

How Will, Your Employees, Feel About Returning To Work?

As a business owner, reopening your doors seems like a no-brainer. Returning to the place that you’ve spent your time building up to the thriving entity that it was pre-pandemic is something that excites you. You’ve been struggling throughout these trying times and want to get back into the black as soon as possible.

Going back to work may be easy for you, but what about your staff? Uneasy people, still reeling from the last 18 months of their lives being turned upside down due to the pandemic, aren’t raring to get back out in the world to expose themselves to the delta variant potentially. If anything, this has made employees re-evaluate their decisions more than usual.

Lots of your staff have families of their own, including young children, that they could infect if they’re a carrier of the virus. Another concern is who will care for their children if their shifts fall during the daytime, and they’ve opted to have their children attend virtual learning. While it isn’t your responsibility to handle these concerns, these are real-life issues that will affect the workforce available to you and your business.

The best thing that you can do is provide your staff with peace of mind. Offering more strict safety measures coupled with being flexible for their needs is a great way to not only support your team but continue operating your business. Staff is more likely to report to work if they feel that their safety is the employer’s main priority.

Ensure that there is PPE (personal protection equipment) available for those who choose to use them, normalize sanitizing all your surfaces, reduce hours for uncomfortable staff, and most importantly, listen to their concerns. Sometimes staff just want their opinions to be heard and have their fears addressed before making a return to the workplace. They know that unemployment won’t last forever & the stimulus money will only go so far for them plus, they’re probably happy to return; as long as there are protective measures in place for them when they return to the workplace.
How Should Your Business Approach These New Developments?

How you chose to approach the pandemic, in the beginning, should continue to be your course of action. If your business is essential, continue to take the proper precautions that you adapted when it first began. Continue to wear masks, constant hand sanitization & washing, maintain social distancing and if possible, become vaccinated.

Even with these precautions in place, it will still be challenging to operate at full speed, which you must be prepared for. While it may feel good to open your doors daily, it might be a better idea to work remotely (if possible). It is at your discretion if you choose to require that your staff become fully vaccinated, but you might lose great staff members in the process. At the end of the day, it all falls onto you and what you feel is the best course of action for your business.

Other things you could do to prevent the spread of the virus include rapid COVID testing, enforcing a mask policy, wearing gloves along with a cashless policy, I.E., electronic payment methods only. Maybe even consider reducing your hours or closing one day a week for deep cleaning/sanitation practices. This may hinder your business for a while, but it is the best way to prevent transmission between two individuals.

Let PROS Make Ready Sanitizing Services Help Protect Your Business!

In this uncertain world, we want to do our absolute best to protect everyone we encounter and provide them with a safe environment to patronize your business. PROS Make Ready in Oklahoma City, OK, is your best choice for delivering sanitization services for your business. Our patented electrostatic fogging system is non-corrosive, non-caustic, non-irritant, doesn’t leave behind ANY RESIDUE, can be applied in a matter of minutes within all areas of your business (including air vents), and will eliminate any traces of the virus strains along with any other bacteria in the internal environment.

Don’t hesitate to protect your business. Let PROS Make Ready provide you with some peace of mind. Call us at (405)777-3216 or click here to schedule service!