CDC issues guideline on returning to work, offices – with focus on commuting

As cities begin to reopen and employers call their staff back to the office, the CDC has issued several guidelines for how to remain safe and healthy back in an office-centric work routine.

The primary concern of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are employees who commute to the office using public transportation or ride sharing services, where there often is no way to ensure social distancing practices are used effectively.

The agency is suggesting that employers use incentive structures to encourage employees to minimize close contact with others during their commute. Straightforward options for those systems include reimbursement for parking or getting to work using single-occupancy rides. 

The CDC also recommends that, if possible, employers should be accommodating to employees who wish to shift their hours, allowing them to commute during less busy travel times. 

Of course, the health agency continues to suggest practices like washing ones hands upon arriving at the office and wearing a mask in public spaces with lots of people around. The new recommendations also suggest that employers should bar the practices of handshaking, hugging, and fist bumping in the office.