Andreia Domingues and Adriana Macieira - Coronavirus & Officesickness

QUEEN OF HEARTS

CORONAVIRUS & OFFICESICKNESS PREPARING THE RETURN

“Everyone’s common sense is the key to making the best out of the prevention strategy.”

Andreia Domingues and Adriana Macieira

These last few months of lockdown have been a challenge. Covid-19 has changed the way the world turns in an unprecedented way and forced Critical TechWorks to close both offices.

The new coronavirus may have introduced people to a new concept they’d probably never even thought of: being “officesick” – the equivalent to “homesick” except that it refers to missing your office.

Luckily, for the ones that are starting to miss their comfortable office desks and chairs, Critical TechWorks started a slow return to the original workstations in June.

SAFETY FIRST Although open, they are still taking a lot of preventive measures to ensure everyone’s safety, complying not only with the instructions from the health authorities, but also taking their efforts further.

Their Queens of Hearts clarify what is going on in the background and what preparations are being put in place to assure the safety of all and to ensure that all workplaces are corona-free.

The most important rules shared by Andreia

Domingues and Adriana Macieira are clear: - If you can stay at home, please do. You will be helping Critical TechWorks and society by reducing the circulation of people; - Everyone’s common sense is the key to making the best out of the prevention strategy. If one single person fails to obey the instructions, all the efforts will fall short. “Our freedom ends where the freedom of others begins.”

This was the first step in the slow return to the new reality, but as the Queens of Hearts say, don’t forget that if things don’t go to plan, the authorities may impose a new lockdown.

As people must keep a safe distance from each other, Critical TechWorks offices are not prepared for holding the entire team.

Even though no one can control the reasons why some employees are going to the office, companies must limit the total number of people on each floor simultaneously. Therefore, priority should be given to people with pressing issues, and people can even schedule their presence in the office.

Keeping a safe distance from colleagues will be possible by leaving a free workstation between them and the teammate closest to them. Wearing a mask at all times, except while eating or drinking, is important, as is “self-disinfection�, another new term introduced by the pandemic, which basically means that workstations should be sanitised after use.

Moreover, to make sure every team member is fully equipped to take on this new challenge, Critical TechWorks has sent everyone a protection kit that includes masks, alcohol gel and other products, and instructions on how to use them.

The battle ahead is still unclear, but it is a common battle.

Everyone’s effort is required, everyone should stay safe and, hopefully, soon the whole team will be able to celebrate life and work side by side once more.