After months of quarantines and closures, office doors everywhere are opening again.
Employees are being asked to make their way back into the office, in some cases full time as in the pre-pandemic era and in others on a rotating schedule to limit the number of people in the office at any given time.
For some, sitting indoors all day close to many other people in the midst of a pandemic is a scary proposition. It sure is for me!
The key to making this work is for everyone to “show up” and practice good social distancing etiquette—which is both the respectful and safe thing to do during our new norm.
Most offices are making changes to adjust: having social distancing policies in place, making modifications to the office space to make it safer, and enacting additional cleaning procedures.
But we all need to do our part to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe in the office. It’s not only good health practice but also good business etiquette—it shows you care about your coworkers’ well-being.
Here are some basic dos and don’ts to help navigate social distancing in an office environment and make sure you don’t step on any toes—or, much worse, endanger others:
If you have health condition(s) that make following this social distancing etiquette difficult, I suggest having a conversation with your supervisor about working remotely.
What Happens When Your Coworker Disregards Social Distancing Etiquette?
You don’t want to be rude or offend someone in the office, but you also don’t want your safety at risk. Here are a few common social distancing scenarios and ways to address them:
Scenario: Your coworker walks right up to you, about two feet away, to ask a question.
Suggested Response: “To keep you and me safe, I am practicing strict social distancing, so I am going to step back from you a few feet.”
Scenario: Your supervisor invites you to go to lunch, and indoor seating is the only option.
Suggested Response: “I’m not comfortable eating indoors at restaurants. Could we take a rain check until after this pandemic?”
Scenario: An important customer visits the office and reaches out to shake your hand when they arrive.
Suggested Response: Smile and put your right hand to your heart or press your palms together at your heart center and bow your head slightly as a gesture to say “hello it is nice to meet you.”
Scenario: You see someone coughing or sneezing, and they don’t look like they are feeling well.
Suggested Response: “You don’t sound or look like you feel well. To be safe, it might be a good idea to go home.”
These suggestions are all about delivery of the message. You can make a point—even a firm one, if it’s egregious—without being aggressive or accusatory. Colleagues can tell your intent from your tone, delivery, and history of interactions within the office.
Safety and office etiquette aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, in the current pandemic, they fit together better than ever before.
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About ShowUp! The company – aptly named “ShowUp!” – takes a results-oriented approach to advancing our mission. Launched in 2007, we are based in the Washington DC area and have fast become a go-to resource for female and male leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, politicians and organizations who are committed to raising the bar and ‘showing up’ for the successes they deserve. Through targeted corporate training facilitation from entry level through executive, group keynotes and workshops, and individualized one-on-one coaching, we make an impact through leadership development, personal brand coaching, executive presence and perception management, individualized personal style consulting and business etiquette. www.showupllc.com