Fellow Work Nicer members! This is a bit of a long one, but there are some really important points that I want to discuss with all of you.
Over the years you’ve supported this community through all sorts of things – construction delays, leaking water pipes, break-ins, and more. Thank you so much for your continued support and contribution to this incredible community – it never ceases and that is what makes Work Nicer so truly special.
Right now, Work Nicer is not the only business that needs your support – please support each other and other local businesses. For example, go out to eat at a local restaurant instead of ordering-in, stock up at local stores – don’t rely on just the big-box ones, and attend virtual events.
There is a lot going on in our world right now and there are a few things at Work Nicer you should be aware of.
This journey of entrepreneurship builds mental toughness and society continues to need us in times like this. We must take COVID-19 seriously and that means managing the psychology of fear.
We are a strong community and that certainly isn’t changing. For now, the community is looking a little bit different and that is okay.
Travel: In Alberta, there haven’t yet been any cases of community transmission of COVID-19. Proactively, the Alberta Government has advised against travel outside of the country as all cases have been travel-related. Additionally, they’ve requested that if you are returning from travel outside of Canada that you self-isolate for 14 days regardless of where you’re returning from or how you feel.
Work Nicer Outposts: The Work Nicer Team and all community members have substantial control over each outpost and what happens in them – more so than most buildings or businesses. Not only are the buildings that Work Nicer occupies small, relatively speaking, but there are other unique attributes that make them easier to manage during times like this – here’s why:
- Roxbury and Beaver House are directly accessed from outside with no need to pass through common areas.
- At Red Mile, Work Nicer occupies two of the three floors serviced by the common areas (lobby and the elevator). The other floor is occupied primarily by the building owner and serves only 20 or so people.
- At Stephen Ave, there are only four occupied floors serviced by the common areas (lobby and the elevator) and Work Nicer is in one of them. Here, the building also serves as home to the building owner.
- We are working closely with building owners. They, along with Work Nicer cleaning teams, have deployed enhanced sanitization measures in all areas.
- Members are already taking the right steps by sanitizing, putting dishes away, avoiding contact greetings, and the like. This kind of community contribution should be celebrated and continued in order to proactively avoid community transmission.
General Hygiene: This remains paramount. Bruce Aylward, leader of the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19 and leader of WHO efforts against Ebola and Zika said in this worthwhile interview from a few days ago: “The important thing we learned in China, and I think this was a surprise for me and for the really top experts we had on the team, is that you can actually control a virus that spreads through a respiratory route with some old-fashioned public health measures.”
- Wash Nicer. Reminder to regularly wash your hands and use sanitizer. If the soap is low by sinks or in bathrooms, please let us know in Slack.
- Wipe Nicer. Just like at the gym, we encourage you to wipe down work surfaces and kitchen counters using disinfectant wipes or soap and water with cloths at every sink. This is already being completed in high traffic areas twice daily by the Work Nicer team at each outpost. Additionally, disinfectant wipes have been placed next to the sinks in each kitchen – these are for your use.
- You’ll also see a centrally located cell phone sanitization station near each eating area for your use. Apple has said alcohol-based wipes are safe to use on phones.
Additional Steps: There are a few other items that, as a community, we are all responsible for:
- Be aware of the proximity to one another and consider leaving a chair between you and others.
- Non-contact greetings such as finger guns, air high fives, respectful nods, and celebratory dabs are highly encouraged.
- For the time being, please avoid shareable or common foods at all outposts.
- For those using the Podcast Studio please ensure to sanitize and wipe down all equipment, including microphones, before and after use. Wipes are provided in the studio.
- The gym at Stephen Ave is being cleaned and sanitized twice daily. Shortly, there will also be additional cleaning products installed in the gym for your use. Please ensure to not only do your part in Work Nicer but also in the gym.
- If you have a scheduled event in the near future please consider the necessity and the nature of the event before hosting it. Please email the team if you want to make any changes to the event.
Information Hygiene: Just as general hygiene is important, information hygiene is also really valuable. Keep up to date with facts from reputable sources such as:
- Alberta Health Services (AHS): Specific actions being taken to protect the health of Albertans.
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): The Federal Government Department entrusted with Canada’s response to COVID-19. This is one of the places everyone else in the country gets their facts from, including AHS.
- World Health Organization (WHO): The non-governing body advising all nations on the COVID-19 pandemic, of which PHAC follows.
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP): a great resource for all things related to infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
Drink Nicer: For the time being, Drink Nicer has been called off. In order to maintain community awesomeness, taking precautionary steps now means we’ll be able to more than make up for it in the near future. We now have non-alcoholic Annex Root Beer on tap for you to enjoy! There is also a channel in slack called #dramnicer – where all things Whiskey are discussed 🙂
Town Hall: Work Nicer Town Hall is next Thursday (March 19) and is still a go! For the first time, it will be virtual. Work Nicer will continue to support every member of this community and adapt accordingly. This is another great way for you to build the story of Work Nicer and your Work Nicer experience. Stay tuned for links and more information on how to provide your suggestions, tune in, and make Work Nicer even better.
Slack: Continue to engage your community in Slack. As you know, it’s a valuable and fun way to engage with your community. There’s lots of awesome stuff that happens in Slack – and the show of support amongst all of us is an amazing reminder of how good people really are.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I look forward to seeing you around!
I’d just like to reiterate – Work Nicer is a community that isn’t changing. We will continue to grow, thrive, and strengthen. For now, the community is looking a little bit different and that is okay.
No one succeeds alone,
Alex