Our advanced online technology has provided ways to successfully navigate physical restrictions imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic. Videoconferencing platforms, like Zoom, Skype and WebEx, have allowed schools and businesses to continue team collaboration, meetings and learning for millions who are working or attending school remotely. Regrettably, the ease with which this technology permits personal connections from almost anywhere, it is also vulnerable to intrusion by those who attempt to disrupt, threaten and harass.

While your staff are preparing safe, clean classrooms and facilities for the return of students, it’s also vital that your team members protect themselves against injuries. In recent months, loss data indicate increases among custodial, maintenance and operations workers with occupational injuries relating to cleaning and disinfecting facilities. These important tasks require diligent attention to the hazards of chemicals and equipment used to clean, disinfect and sanitize.

When your facilities are not occupied, whether just overnight or when remote learning during the pandemic leaves school buildings vacant for prolonged periods, you are more vulnerable to property crimes, including vandalism, arson and burglary. Vehicles left dormant on school grounds are also potential targets that can turn into costly losses for your district. Empty structures can also fall victim to damage caused by breakdowns such as plumbing leaks, electrical malfunctions, and pest infestation that can go undetected over time.

If there is one thing has been consistent in the year 2020, it’s change. Every time you look around, the dynamics of social, political, economic and technological conditions are in motion this year. All of this change is affecting our lives and how we interact with the availability of products and services we need and use. It has also affected the market for insurance and employee benefits.

Just as workplaces need to keep people healthy during the pandemic, our homes also must be prepared for keeping your family safe during a community outbreak. In this final article in our Trending Topics series on coronavirus, we feature a course on the actions advised by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to prepare your household.

In this series of Trending Topics, we are featuring the Keenan SafeSchools courses relating to the coronavirus pandemic to assist you with the changes you may encounter in these unusual times. Advancements in technology and 24/7 internet access have dramatically changed strategies for workforce management, providing flexible, remote working opportunities for some workplaces in times of crisis like the COVID-19 outbreak. The course on “Transitioning to a Remote Workforce” describes the factors that contribute to the need for a remote workforce, discusses the advantages and challenges of transitioning to a remote workforce environment, and lists best practices for successful remote workforce management.

Continuing our series about Keenan SafeSchools online training about Coronavirus, we take up the topic of cleaning and disinfecting your facilities. In addition to social distancing, face covering, and adherence to personal hygiene practices, keeping your workplace clean and disinfected protects your staff and students, and prevents the spread of COVID-19

Our latest Keenan SafeSchools releases for online training are a series of courses on COVID-19. These courses provide an overview of the coronavirus risk factors, where to find reliable information with the latest updates, as well as practical preparations for protection and coping with the situation. Over the next several weeks, we will present highlights from these short courses and we encourage you to take advantage of your access to these resources, whether you are a school that is a client or not.

It looks like work-from-home arrangements will continue for the time being. Although many workplaces are beginning to open up again, social distancing protocols may keep many offices from reoccupying fully. If you supervise employees who have been working remotely for the first time, you probably have noticed that some adapt to the new way of working better than others. Part of your challenge in managing your remote workers is in providing the support and encouragement to help them remain productive and retain their sense of belonging to a team.

With our entire nation and the world dealing with a public health crisis, it is inevitable that people are experiencing worry, anxiety, fears and a sense of everything being out of control. These feelings are real and understandable in the unique times we are living in! As Dr. Scott Poland, Ed.D. shared in our recent webinar, coping with our emotional state constructively and adjusting to the rapid changes around us is essential to our mental health.