Preparing for your business to re-open or have your employees return to work involves following local and national guidelines, adapting your business as needed and building confidence in your employees and customers that you can do so safely. This 4 step checklist can serve as a starting point for you to plan.
4 Step Checklist
1. Document your plans
- Determine which employees are impacted and to what degree. They may not all be the same.
- Consider a phased return to work or split-shifts if feasible
- Identify a coordinator for your return to work operations. This should be someone high level in your company most likely in operations or HR. If you have a large company, a team should be formed with members from multiple areas.
- Review and update your HR policies to account for sick time, family care, accommodations for high risk individuals and requirements for reporting C19 diagnosis.
- Discuss return to work with your suppliers and customers to ensure consistency in your modified operations.
2. Implement social distancing and safe practices
- Document and educate your employees on social distancing and close proximity protocols.
- Address employee and customer concerns in a timely manner.
- Post your modified protocols on signage throughout the workplace.
- If you have a retail operation, post signs requiring masks and other protections.
- Prepare for how to address non-compliance with employees and customers.
- Consider daily temperature and wellness checks for all employees.
3. Prepare for return to work
- Ensure desk/workstation spacing accommodations and modifications are made.
- Order and provide protective equipment and cleaning supplies.
- Clean all high touch surfaces if you have not already done so.
- Consider a "test run" with a few employees, gather their feedback and adjust protocols if needed.
- Address non-compliance with safety practices
- Frequently clean common areas and high touch points. Perform thorough cleaning at regular intervals.
- Continue to gather employee and customer feedback on the modified operations and protocols. Make adjustments where needed.
- Communicate frequently with your employees, partners, suppliers and customers, re-assuring and building confidence in your ability to operate safely.
4. Revisit and adjust your return to operation plan
- Have your leadership and return to work team meet weekly to discuss challenges, successes and modifications to the return to operation plan.
- Cross-train employees in case of future infections causing unexpected absences
- Update or develop your succession plan for critical team members
