COVID-19: Creating a Safe Workplace and Allowing Your Workforce to Return to the Office

Our latest blog will discuss how companies across the United States are planning and managing the return of their workforce to the offices following the Covid-19 pandemic along with recommended measures to take on your own as a business manager or owner.

Step 1: Review your company’s business continuity and crisis management plans. [the good stuff, not just the risk-analyzing BS that HR loves to fill these things with]

Objectives: To ensure each employee’s safety, an important step is reviewing your company’s business continuity and crisis management plans. Include in these plans the recommended measures that you will follow during the return to work following Covid-19. Develop a communication plan to inform your employees on what should be done upon their return to work. 

Step 2: Encourage employee self-sufficiency when preparing for their return along with basic travel suggestions. [Have some information of what to do when they get home, and encouraging them to come up with a plan of their own rather than relying on HR-provided info]

Objectives: When employees return, it is vital that they are prepared for their commute home and any other preparations deemed necessary by the employee. You may also consider handing out basic travel suggestions or encouraging employees to do so on their own. 

Step 3: Develop a method to track your employees’ return date and time. [Keep records? Check?]

Objectives: This will help you better track your workers’ return and ensure that all employees have returned safely to work following the Covid-19 pandemic. A return to work tracking form can be created and used to accomplish this. 

Step 4: Review your employee’s preparedness and plan in the event of their absence. [Are they over-prepared or will they be affected by lack of planning?]

Objectives: This will help ensure that your employees are prepared for any situation. 

Step 5: Communicate with your employees on the status of the crisis. [Use email? Blogs?]

Objective: Ensuring your employees are kept informed on the status of Covid-19 may help maintain their trust in how you are handling, and managing, this crisis for them and their safety while at home during the pandemic. 

Step 6: Provide your employees with a checklist of information they should gather before their return to work. [Are these just too-basic reminders or actually useful?]

Objective: Consider providing your employees with a checklist of suggestions on how to prepare for their return to work following the Covid-19 pandemic. This can include suggested food or other items that may be needed for several days upon their return. 

Step 7: Offer flexible/compressed work schedules to your workers as they prepare for and/or recover from the pandemic.

Objective: When employees return to work following the pandemic, a flexible work schedule can help them recover from the emotional strain and physical exhaustion from their return. 

Step 8: Encourage your employees to stay connected with their families during recovery periods. [How do they actually use this?]

Objective: In addition to a family-friendly environment, consider encouraging your employees to stay connected with their families during recovery periods. This may be helpful in keeping family members informed as well as helping employees feel that they are still important even when they are unable to attend work for a time.