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The days of waking up early, grabbing a quick breakfast, and heading into the office feel like a lifetime ago given the current state of affairs with the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries everywhere have had to quickly address the safety and well-being of its citizens including the United States, which issued “stay at home” orders back in mid-March to help reduce the spread. While we’ve achieved success in testing for the virus and adapted to wearing face masks in public, we’re still very far removed from “normal.”  With many states implementing phase systems for re-opening, businesses have been put in the unique position of determining when and how employees should return to the workplace.

Back in May, The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention asked employers to “support and encourage options to telework” and has said that “teleworking is one of the most effective ways employers can help reduce the spread of COVID-19.” However, as we transitioned from spring to summer, some employers have become less comprising on working from home. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics’ survey, the percentage of employees within the high-tech and financial industries working from home dropped by nearly half from April to July.

Many of the big-name tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have taken the lead in empowering employees to work from home for the remainder of 2020 and beyond. Undoubtedly, there are many essential workers in healthcare and construction who don’t have the luxury to work from home, so it’s even more critical that those who don’t need to commute can stay home and safe. Just like individuals are encouraged to wear masks and socially distance, businesses who can facilitate work from home should claim the same social responsibility. Here at Lowenthal & Abrams, we’ve encouraged our employees to continue working from home because it’s important that we do our part in flattening the curve and keep our employees and clients safe.  We are happy to say that we are still able to give our clients the service they deserve and like many other businesses, have had to adapt to the “new normal”.  We are available via telephone or remote video calling 7 days a week.