How To Handle Work Lunches During COVID-19

Although COVID-19 is still at the forefront of how we make decisions, both on a personal and professional basis, there are many aspects of life that are beginning to come back to normal. One of those is the return of many employees to their place of work. As more and more people come back to the office, the question can begin to arise. “How can we handle lunch breaks & corporate meals and meetings?” There are a few ways in which your company can properly handle food and lunch functions and still be safe and prepared.

COVID-19 is not a food borne illness, meaning it cannot be transmitted by food alone. Since this is the case, food is not the issue in the office, but how people interact with the food is the important part.

1. Have a policy for making sure employees are well. As long as your employees are known to be well, then the risk of a lunch gathering becoming an issue immediately drops!
2. Promote social distancing during meal times. Allow for people to take turns getting up and helping themselves to their food. Have spacing available for tables and seating.
3. Reduce contact with the same utensils and items over and over. Having each employee use their own silverware to pick up their serving is a great way to limit contact from one to another.
4. Always throw away used plates and cups, etc and grab new ones when it’s time for seconds.
5. Keep conversation and meetings going as normal as possible. Stress and the unknown can be scary for people, but the more that things keep going on the way they always have (with minor sanitary changes) the more your spirits in the office will stay high and productivity up!

Are you looking for how to efficiently and safely host your next lunch meeting? I hope that these tips have put your mind more at ease to know that it can be done well and responsibly.