Difficult Situation regarding Reopening During Covid-19

Question

I am the Office Administrator at a small law firm.  Covid-19 has hit us particularly hard and our paralegal and support staff have been working half time and getting half salary since the end of March.  Lately, the morale has not been great as there has been no sign from the partners that the paralegals and support staff will be returning any time soon.  People are stressed, and understandably so.  I have brought up the morale to the partners ad nauseum and it seems to fall on deaf ears. Now, I have been asked to review the office Covid-19 policy once again to allow for limited client appointments in the office.  This, in and of itself is not difficult.  However, one part is going to ruffle feathers.  The partners want me to assign the responsibility of wiping down the plexiglass barriers in the conference room and other surfaces to the staff when the attorneys are done with their meetings.  They have expressed to me that someone needs to be assigned that task.  Honestly, I feel that whoever is using the conference room should clean after themselves.  With the morale so low at this point, if I come out with a new policy that assigns paralegals to basically stop what they're doing to go wipe down surfaces in the conference room after the attorneys are done with their appointments going to look like an insult.  I can't afford to have the morale drop any further.  Is it wring for me to ask the attorneys to clean up after themselves?  I know I'm going to get backlash no matter how I do this, but our staff is working super hard, trying to get 8 hours of work crammed into a 4 hour day.  Now I'm going to ask them to be cleaning ladies for the attorneys?  Any advice is welcome.  Thanks in advance.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Holly, I've worked at various law firms for the past 20 years in IT and one thing I can definitely tell you is attorneys are not going to wipe down surfaces after a conference meeting. A couple of options are whoever setup the conference with coffee, water, etc should wipe it down when they come to collect cups, pitchers, etc. The other option would be the office services team (mailroom, file room, reception). If the IT team is setting up equipment for the conference meetings, perhaps they can wipe it down when they come to collect the equipment.

Vicki Hyson Deuser · Answer

It sounds like the rotational schedule, I think, is the most fair for your group  We have done this pre-COVID and while it's a true pain to stop what you are doing to do this -- it's helpful in the long run.  Of course, the most optimal solution would be for the partners to be a 'team-player' and clean up after themselves.  Good Luck!

Laura Kell · Answer

Hi, Holly, I think your predicament is a fairly common one, especially in businesses that have a definite hierarchy.

Perhaps, if the partners are unwilling to do their fair share, the cleaning duties could be on a rotational schedule with everyone else taking turns.  Not ideal, for sure, but it might ruffle less feathers.

Our office has taken the stand that everyone, no matter their position, is responsible to help out to keep all of us safe.

HOLLY RIVERA · Answer

Thanks Laura, I was thinking that if it comes down to it, a rotational schedule would probably the least of the feather ruffling.  I just wish that more offices took a stand like yours.  This isn't the first time I've had to handle something like this, but not to this degree.

Difficult Situation regarding Reopening During Covid-19

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