COVID Considerations for Interior Designers

During & Post COVID Work Considerations

As states are starting to open up and interior designers are resuming somewhat normal activities, depending on where you live, there are a few things to think about when getting back out into society.

Safety recommendations – Be sure to research the safety recommendations in your state. I’ve noticed a wide variety of recommendations just to get a haircut or eat at a restaurant so be sure to research what your state is recommending when it comes to in-person meetings, in-home visits, site visits, shopping, etc.

Be respectful – The mask/no mask debate is happening everywhere but it’s important to be considerate of your clients. I know many business owners who don’t wear masks unless their customers/clients are wearing a mask. As a sign of respect they, will to, wear a mask. Ask your clients their preference if you aren’t typically a mask wearer and feel free to let your clients know your preference if you are.

Liability insurance – Have you checked with your insurance  provider to see what kind of coverage there is if any in the event that you, your client or contractors contract COVID during your working relationship? Again, all insurance coverages are different so call your provider.

Legal Waiver – The legal waiver is going to be something we could be seeing a lot of moving forward. Whether it’s from a school, sporting event, business or contractor (again, depending on where you live) organizations and businesses are going to want people to understand the risks involved in attending an event or working together and are going to want people to waive liability in the event they contract COVID. Ask your attorney if you should consider a legal waiver.

Contracting – Do you have a force majeure clause? Now that we all know what a force majeure event looks like it’s worth looking into. What happens when you can’t complete a job due to factors out of your control? Do you have a refund policy? Or is there a policy in place where the work will resume when safe? These are definitely some things to discuss with your attorney.

The interesting thing about the pandemic is that every state has slightly different policies for things. As I’m seeing some states are still shut down, others are proceeding with softball and baseballs seasons, restaurants are open for inside dining, malls are open, events are happening and people are gathering in larger crowds.

The best thing to do is research your state, the safety recommendations and policies and come up with a plan that best suites you and your clients for today and in the future. And for extra measure, consult with your attorney. It’s always better to be safe, than sorry.

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Danae