Many individuals have indicated an increased fear of infection as their primary worry. Such concerns are warranted, given that returning to pre-COVID working conditions is likely to result in an increased frequency of face-to-face social interactions (with both colleagues and the general public), thus increasing overall risks of infection. Research has highlighted several individual factors associated with increased anxiety regarding infection, such as working exclusively from home over the last year, perceived financial difficulties, heightened levels of baseline psychological distress, and working in healthcare or retail/service industries. Other factors such older age or pre-existing medical conditions that may increase risk of complications have also been linked to heightened concerns about COVID-19 infection.
Effective organisational policies and risk mitigation strategies can be implemented to reduce the risk of infection. A comprehensive policy should include:
- Provisions regarding proper social distancing between workers
- Improved hygiene, appropriate ventilation, cleaning, and sanitation practices for shared spaces and equipment (including desks, phones, meeting rooms, and kitchen facilities)
- Access to cleaning supplies and appropriate PPE (i.e., masks, gloves, hand sanitisers, disinfectants, and alcohol wipes)
Additionally, at-risk individuals should be scheduled to be the last employees to return to the office, or encouraged to delay their return until organisational processes and systems regarding risk management can be implemented. To reduce ambiguity regarding these decisions, organisations should clearly communicate to employees both policy information but also the rationale behind these decisions, as this will help maintain a sense of trust, justice, and understanding amongst workers.