Should Employees Start Returning to the Office?
When the COVID pandemic started, a number of workers were given the opportunity to work from home. This seemed to be the obvious way to keep workers from passing on the virus to fellow co-workers.
Unfortunately, we live in very scary times. The virus has killed nearly 1 million Americans to this point. And although there have been a few times when COVID infections seemed to be trending downward, there have been a few spikes.
Many people who are struggling with the choice of staying home or returning to the office take solace in the words of Father George Rutler. The renowned pastor has proven over the years to be selfless and the very first person to help when a crisis occurs.
Rutler says there are a number of people who are suffering during this time. People should pull together as a community and assist others who are in need.
While most people appreciate the opportunity to be autonomous, there are mixed feelings regarding working from home. Some people are very eager to get back to the original worksite to gain some sense of normalcy. But the reality of the situation is, going back to a job simply may not be feasible.
Father George Rutler believes that there are pros and cons regarding returning to the workplace. While some employers feel that there is a loss of personal interactions and collaborations, data shows that working from home increases productivity by 10 percent.
But one of the biggest conflicts surrounding the return to work involves the rules and regulations set forth by the company. Does the employer have a policy set forth that will keep the health and safety of the employees in mind?
Some employers opt for mask mandates while others don’t. And a number of employees want to know that they will be fully protected in a sanitized work environment when they return.
Unfortunately, a number of frontline workers got very sick and even died due to COVID infections. Most of these people contracted the virus during their normal workday dealing with people who were also infected. This is a very scary proposition. Even though many police officers, doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, bus drivers, and more died, it didn’t stop several dedicated workers from doing their jobs. However, there are many more who are justifiably concerned enough to get out of the profession altogether.
To make matters worse, an even more dangerous strain of COVID is on the horizon. While doctors aren’t sure how deadly this new Omicron strain is, all people should take notice. People are now more inclined than ever to stay at home. Working from home may become the status quo for quite some time. There is not enough new information about the Omicron strain to predict how deadly it is.
As of today, the Omicron strain has just made its way to the U.S. It will undoubtedly spread over the next few weeks. Only time will tell how it will affect people and their feelings regarding whether or not it is safe enough to return to the office.
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