4 Questions to Ask Before Returning to the Office

Though the United States is still struggling to control the spread of COVID-19, many companies around the country are exploring reopening measures and developing best practices at the office. If your employer has asked employees to return to their dusty desks, it’s normal to be nervous. The mere thought of enclosed, tight quarters within a building is bound to cause a little anxiety.

Before you agree to make the commute and go back to working at the office, it’s smart and reasonable to have some questions. To ensure the leadership team is taking every precaution seriously and to ease your own fears, career experts suggest going through this checklist of inquiries. And if you still don’t feel ready to return, remember that’s OK too.

1. Is it safe?

To put it plainly, career expert Wendi Weiner says safety should be a top priority for employers during considerations of reopening a brick-and-mortar office. This will look different for every workplace environment, but some bases should be universally covered, including:

• Social distancing measures based on the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Hand-washing and hand-sanitizing stations 
• Temperature checks and daily health check-ins with all employees
• Fewer people in the office and in meeting rooms 

Your employer should send out a memo outlining the precautions they’re taking to keep everyone comfortable, healthy and productive. If they don’t, Weiner encourages professionals to ask for it. Given the risks with the coronavirus, knowing what you’ll face when you walk through the doors is vital.

2. What are the new health protocols?

Say your employer has confirmed they’re taking safety precautions to fight against COVID-19 infiltrating the space. That’s great! But what exactly are they doing? It may feel uncomfortable to dig into the nitty-gritty details, but Amanda Augustine, a career expert for TopResume, says it could be reassuring to get specific. She suggests posing some questions that go a step further:

• Has our workplace been altered to make it easier to maintain distance? Have cubicles been erected or plexiglass dividers been installed between workstations? 
• Has a strategy been implemented to address meetings? Will we continue to use video-conferencing software even when we’re in the office, so we don’t pack into a conference space?
• Will my coworkers and I be required to wear a mask and/or other personal protective gear? If so, will the company supply us with these, or are we responsible for purchasing our own?

“If you are returning to the office, you’ll want to know what precautions are being taken to ensure your health and safety,” Augustine says. “Keep in mind, not every employer is required to pay for its employees’ face masks and other equipment—this all depends on the circumstances and the state law involved—so it’s best to learn of your employer’s expectations ahead of time so you can be prepared.”

3. What happens if someone from the office tests positive?

Because of privacy concerns, there may be some misinformation and miscommunication about what employers can share about an employee’s health. However, COVID-19 can spread so easily in small groups that all staff members must be notified if someone in the office has tested positive. Steven Schnur, M.D., the CEO of ImHealthyToday.org, says as a general rule of thumb, those individuals identified as having close contact with the sick person should be immediately notified. Then, common areas should be properly sanitized. “Employers should consider monitoring the office to ensure the safety and health of the organization is of the utmost priority,” Schnur adds.

If the leadership team at your company doesn’t have this action plan in place, you should feel encouraged to ask them to create one.

4. How will this impact business travel?

Remember when hopping down to Miami for a meeting and then flying back to New York on the same day was a thing? Or when no one thought twice about going to a conference in Las Vegas for a long weekend? Business travel looks mighty different today than it did before March 2020, and if it was once part of your job description, you should get on the same page with your employer on their expectations moving forward. Weiner recommends first addressing your own comfort level and how willing you are to expose yourself to germs at the airport for a business meeting. “Traveling domestically can present a problem if you are in a COVID hot spot or staying at a crowded hotel,” she says. 

Share this with your manager, then work together to come up with alternative solutions that allow you to do your job without the added exposure.