Is It Safe To Return To The Office During Covid This Is How To Decide

as hell. Toss in the COVID-19 pandemic, economic depression, and social injustice and your most basic choices become stress-inducing nightmares. There are rarely risk-free decisions or one-size-fits-all answers, but there are ways to assess and respond to risk.working from homeCOVID vaccineOccupational Safety and Health Administrationstudy

Using a Risk Assessment Matrix to Make the Office Decision

The higher the total score, the riskier the choice is.The Four Factors

Health: The risk going to the office has on public health and the health of your family.For example, returning to the office means you could pick up COVID at work and bring it home to your family.Psychology: The risk going to the office has on your family’s psychology.For example, trying to work from home while 24/7 parenting takes a mental toll on you and your kid.Career: The risk going to the office has on your career.For example, working from home could mean you miss out on opportunities to impress your boss.Economics: The risk going to the office has on your family’s finances.For example, you may be in a better position for a raise if you return to the office.

The Three Scenarios

Go to the Office

If you’re fully vaccinated, going into the office isn’t much of a risk to personal or public health, especially if you’ve gotten a booster.If you’re unvaccinated and anyone in your household is unvaccinated or immunocompromised, going to the office is more of a risk to personal and public health.Only employees who trust their employer to follow and enforce public health guidelines should return to the workplace.Think long and hard about if returning to the office will have any real benefit on your career or ability to get work done.

Work From Home

Working from home means you’re less likely to get infected by or transmit the coronavirus.Avoiding the office when your boss wants you there could have a negative impact on your career, and some workers have even been fired for refusing to return.

The Bottom Line:Making the Decision

Ready to Return to the Office?

The company should require vaccination for anyone returning to the office.Employees should screen themselves for COVID symptoms every day.Employees must stay home if they’re sick, and the company can’t punish them for that.Rearrange the workspace so that desks are at least six feet apart.Increase ventilation in the office.Install an air purification system.