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What’s next for consumers, workers, and companies in the post-COVID-19 recovery?

A question on the mind of the vast majority of every human on planet earth. While the answers are inconclusive the conversation is deep & purposeful.

Dive into this recent McKinsey & Company article https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/whats-next-for-consumers-workers-and-companies-in-the-post-covid-19-recovery

What’s next for consumers, workers, and companies in the post-COVID-19 recovery Many changes in business models and consumer behavior during the pandemic will stick, but action will be needed to ensure the rebound is not uneven.

A quick read for your Saturday.

We came across a recent Small Business Trends article on the subject of "10 Tips for Adjusting to a Post-COVID Business World".

So many small businesses are in a state of flux as they emerge from lockdowns and the pandemic. Some factors have changed permanently throughout the past year. And others may go back to normal. These tips from members of the online small business community can help you find balance.

Read it here: https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/05/post-covid-business-world-advice.html

10 Tips for Adjusting to a Post-COVID Business World So many small businesses are in a state of flux as they emerge from the pandemic. 10 Tips for adjusting to a Post-COVID business world.

At SafelyThrive we provide a complete COVID safety platform for schools and businesses with a diverse list of leading innovators in healthcare and safety.

While your company operates safely, our team is researching evolving global health issues in collaboration with leading partners you trust to ensure your business stays informed, prepared and protected.

Visit www.safelythive.com for more!!

Instead of jumping to a conclusion about the post-Covid consumer, revert to one that psychology studies educated us on long before the pandemic. Individuals don’t change habits easily, and what they may stand to lose by changing behavior weighs more heavily on the mind than any potential gain.

“Breaking habits is hard. It is an uphill battle,” said Wharton professor of marketing and psychology Deborah Small at the recent CNBC Small Business Playbook Summit.

In a recent article from CNBC, read more here:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/05/wharton-psychology-guru-on-the-risky-mind-defining-post-covid-consumer.html

The risky thinking that will define the post-Covid consumer: Wharton psychology guru Consumer behavior is always evolving, but not in a monolithic way, especially after the pandemic, says Wharton marketing and psychology professor Deborah Small.

Sports are a major contributor to economic and social development. Its role is well recognized by Governments, including in the Political Declaration of the 2030 Agenda, which reflects on “the contribution sports make to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities, as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives.”

The global value of the sports industry is estima­ted at US$756 billion annually. In the face of COVID-19, many millions of jobs are therefore at risk globally, not only for sports professionals but also for those in related retail and sporting services industries connected with leagues and events, which include travel, tourism, infrastructure, transportation, catering and media broadcasting, among others.

We can all agree that we need the sports industry fully back immediately! The sports industry has taken a beating. Let’s team up to turn this around!

Learn more at www.safelythrive.com

There’s a famous story about NBA legend Dennis Rodman… one that doesn’t involve wedding dresses or Madonna. Before a game, Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas admonished Rodman for standing off to the side during warm-ups. “You have to participate,” he said. Rodman replied that he was, just in his own way. While everyone else was shooting, he was counting the number of times the ball rotated on each shot, all so he could later perfectly position himself for the rebound.

You might be asking yourself what this story has to do with the post-COVID boom on the horizon. The answer is simple: When it comes to rebounds, POSITION IS EVERYTHING.

Thanks to Forbes for the insights in this recent article, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/20/is-your-company-positioned-for-the-post-covid-19-boom/?sh=72e5d064151e

Council Post: Is Your Company Positioned For The Post-Covid-19 Boom? Smart companies will position themselves to ride the post-Covid-19 rebound before it hits.

In a survey conducted late last year, three-quarters of executives said they expected their offices to operate at 50 percent capacity by July.

If your boss is one of them, you might be wondering how your company plans to protect you from the coronavirus. After a year-plus of pandemic life, employers have had plenty of time to prepare to keep office workers safe at their desks, but some workplaces have still fallen short.

So here are six questions that any company should be able to answer before asking its staff to set foot in their cubicles. Read the full article from The Atlantic here: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/05/back-to-office-pandemic-safety/618783/

6 Questions for the Boss Who Wants You Back in Your Cubicle Here’s how to find out if your workplace’s return-to-office plans are actually safe.

Mental Health Matters , and this latest article from Bloomberg goes into the impact it has on businesses and their employees.

“We’re seeing pretty alarming numbers,” said Vaile Wright, senior director of healthcare innovation at the American Psychological Association (APA), who oversees its Stress in America survey. “People’s bodies and minds just aren’t in quite the fit place they were in a year ago.”

Read here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/u-s-employers-brace-for-covid-mental-health-fallout-as-workers-return-to-office

Employers Brace for Covid’s Mental Health Fallout as Workers Return Companies are slowly calling staff back to the office. They bring with them the emotional scars of a year filled with fear, isolation and sorrow.

Roughly 70 percent of the more than 4,000 respondents felt COVID-19 would have a negative long-term impact on the industry, while 65 percent said they felt the industry did not protect its employees better than other sectors. According to a recent Florida Atlantic University Poll.

How does a casino, restaurateur or a hotel manager gain the skillset necessary to vet PPE suppliers, evaluate cleaning products and procedures, and make the best decisions to move forward? And quickly? By selecting a partner that knows the business.

SafelyThrive is that partner.
Head to www.safelythrive.com for more information

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was rampant speculation that one of the long-term implications would be the end of the office.

While the workplace will undoubtedly become a hybrid environment with more employees working remotely at least part of the time, the reality is that companies will still have offices.

Look more into this recent article from Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-to-talk-to-employees-about-reopening

How to Talk to Employees About Reopening People want to know your plans around safety and flexibility.

A change could be on the way for millions of workers, as companies prepare for a return to the office.

What do you need to know if your boss asks you to stop working from home?

BBC News dives right in on the subject on the mind of thousands around the globe. Read here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52567567

Covid: Should I be working from home or going back to the office? As lockdown restrictions ease gradually across the UK, what are the rules about returning to work?

“As businesses and other organizations gradually open after the COVID-19-related slowdown, they will need to consider a variety of measures for keeping people safe,” CDC says. “These considerations include practices for scaling up operations, safety actions (e.g., cleaning and disinfection, social distancing), monitoring possible re-emergence of illness, and maintaining health operations.“

For more on this recent article from EHS Today read here:
https://www.ehstoday.com/covid19/article/21132753/cdc-freshens-guidelines-for-reopening-businesses

SafelyThrive is on the front lines of providing effective & efficient solutions to get businesses of all industries . To learn how, head to www.safelythrive.com

CDC Freshens Guidelines for Reopening Businesses CDC adds sector-specific advice regarding best practices.

An important topic on the minds on many as we head into the summer months and one that we like to share a myriad of insights on as we want to provide guidance to many of you seeking answers.

With days getting warmer and COVID-19 cases decreasing across the country, Americans are looking for ways to get back to normal life — for parents, that means navigating getting their kids back to normalcy after over a year of pandemic-forced restrictions.

CBS News published this article recently and we found it critical to share. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kids-summer-not-vaccinated/

Here's how to give your kids a safe and fun summer, even if they aren't vaccinated Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, host of the "Happiness" podcast, said this summer would force parents to get "more creative and adaptable."

Last summer, the pandemic saw many families hunkered down at home and avoiding gathering with anyone outside their household.

This summer, COVID-19 vaccines will allow more freedom, but with that comes some confusion about how to navigate plans when some family members are fully vaccinated and others are not.

In this latest article from Consumer Reports

https://www.consumerreports.org/children-s-health/safe-summer-activities-for-kids-during-the-pandemic/

Safe Summer Activities for Kids During the Pandemic Safe activities for kids during the pandemic this summer can include visits with relatives, family vacations, and camp with proper precautions against COVID-19, Consumer Reports says.

4x more women compared to men left the workforce as the new school year began due to students studying remotely.

While we know many of all who could, worked remotely, that still made productivity a challenge, especially for those who hadn't experienced a remote working culture.

Getting everyone is at the core of the SafelyThrive mission. To learn more, please visit safelythrive.com

Many parents are asking an important question: Is my child prepared for in-person schooling after months at home with isolation and remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

“The most important thing is to keep the lines of communications open between you and your child,” said Dr. Luis Sandoval, a psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente. “Ask your child about any questions or concerns they may have going back to school. Once they return, ask them how it’s going, and what you can do to help them readjust. Tell them it’s normal to feel scared, anxious, but don’t forget to bring up the positive elements of this change.”

From a mental health perspective, “Focus on your children being happy, motivated, and good academic performance will follow,” Dr. Sandoval explained.

For more on this article, read here:
https://signalscv.com/2021/04/helping-children-thrive-and-return-to-school-safely/

Helping children thrive and return to school safely By Allona Anderson Kaiser Permanente Many parents are asking an important question: Is my child prepared for in-person schooling after months at home with isolation and remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic? With school personnel now being vaccinated and many students returning to campus, Kai...

Don’t touch that. Wash your hands for 30 seconds. Where’s your mask? Six feet, please.

Parents who spent the last year carefully protecting their children from the COVID-19 pandemic are now being asked to send them back to daycare, school and camps, all without the benefit of vaccines. It's cause for celebration, but also, for many, worry.

In this latest Today Show article they talk about the risks as everything starts to open. Read here:

https://www.today.com/parents/it-safe-parents-worry-about-risks-schools-camps-reopen-t217686

Is it safe? Parents worry about risks as schools, camps reopen Parents sending kids back into the world feel their own separation anxiety.

While many argue about the reality of this pandemic we have faced, one thing that cannot be argued is the impact on the overall economy.

$350 billion of lost revenue and growth could be reversed with the opening of schools, according to some estimates. THATS ALOT.

How can we get is the question?
We have the solution.
www.safelythrive.com

At SafelyThrive we have created all encompassing prevention system.

In this recent opinion article from Palo Alto Online, they say, Evidence also demonstrates that K-12 schools that have implemented prevention strategies have been able to safely open for in-person instruction and remain open. As a result, states such as Florida have been back five days a week since September to some form of in-person learning without major outbreaks of COVID-19.

For more on this article read here:
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2021/05/01/opinion-why-we-decided-to-send-our-kids-back-to-school

Opinion: Why we decided to send our kids back to school In California, we say trust the data and the science. Both show that it is safe to return to school.

Kids Are Returning To School. But Let’s Avoid A Return To Academic Pressure.

As with any first day (or first day back in this case), there is a mix of excitement, anticipation and anxiety. My own 11-year-old worried about what to bring for lunch and about the new students joining his class. There are unique worries about keeping teachers and students safe from COVID-19 and about what students have lost in learning, social and emotional development.

Read the full article from WBUR 90.9 FM here:
https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2021/04/07/kids-school-pandemic-covid-stress-academic-pressure-ellen-h-odonnell

For more on how SafelyThrive is helping... visit safelythrive.com

Kids Are Returning To School. But Let’s Avoid A Return To Academic Pressure Suddenly, we’re in a race to pick up where we left off, to catch up to the pace we were at when school abruptly closed in March 2020, writes Ellen H. O'Donnell.

“U.S. Department of Agriculture will remain relentless in ensuring our nation’s children get the critical nutrition they need,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “States and districts wanted waivers extended to plan for safe reopening in the fall. USDA answered the call to help America’s schools and childcare institutions serve high quality meals while being responsive to their local needs as children safely return to their regular routines. This action also increases the reimbursement rate to school meal operators so they can serve healthy foods to our kids. It’s a win-win for kids, parents and schools.”

For more on this announcement from the USDA read this link.
https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/04/20/usda-issues-pandemic-flexibilities-schools-and-day-care-facilities

USDA Issues Pandemic Flexibilities for Schools and Day Care Facilities through June 2022 to Support Safe Reopening and Healthy, Nutritious Meals WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today issued a broad range of flexibilities to allow school meal programs and childcare institutions across the country to return to serving healthy meals in fall 2021 as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment t...

When thinking about ways to establish key requirements for K-12 Testing, there are FOUR. Easy. Effective. Accessible. Affordable.

Easy
Testing an entire classroom should take minimal time (e.g., ~12 minutes). Testing must be easy for students as young as kindergarten to do. Logistics should be streamlined and should not burden school staff.

Effective
Testing should be accurate and give school communities data that provides them with confidence to maintain in-person learning.

Accessible
Testing should be easy to access for every school and should be easily scalable to cover entire school districts.

Affordable
The cost of testing should allow for every student to be tested every week. Federal funding may be leveraged to cover cost.

To Learn more about how SafelyThrive can help you get visit www.safelythrive.com

Attending gatherings to celebrate graduations and end of the school year events increases the risk of getting and spreading COVID-19. The safest way to celebrate this year is virtually, with people who live with you, or outside while taking prevention measures. For some tips for schools to encourage students and families to celebrate safely check out this link from the CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html

Community, Work, and School Actions that communities can take to slow the spread of COVID-19.