Return to Work Checklist

COVID-19 has disrupted and changed so much about how we do business.  As  governments are beginning to provide return-to-work plans and businesses prepare to reopen, or resume regular operations, there are many considerations and best practices to help business do so in a responsible manner that maintains safety, manages resources and builds morale.

Use this “Return to Work” checklist to guide you in your decision making. 

Decisions

• Who is the decision maker?

• When can employees return to work and what are the rules and recommended guidelines:

  • WEDC reopen Guidelines
  • See U.S. Chamber of Commerce State-by-State Business Reopening Guidance.
  • CDC, EEOC,  OSHA

• How should we reopen?

  • Return all employees at once or plan a staggered schedule?
  • Establish a rotation schedule?
  • Maintain remote working?
  • Rethink the physical work space set up?

• Communicate frequently and as transparently as possible with employees:

  • Provide expected timelines for recalling/rehiring employees.
  • Providing returning employees with recall or offer letters. Example
  • Train managers on dealing with employees that may face increased personal challenges during this time, such as bereavement and loss, childcare and school-cancelations challenges, financial stress, and other dependent care and support needs.

• Offer flexibility wherever possible and adjust workloads to be reasonable.

Postings and Policies

• Post the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) poster in a visible place.

  • Where employees will remain working from home, send by email or post to Company Intranet or website.

• Review and revise hiring practices and polices

  • Have your staffing needs changed?
  • Do you need to change benefits or pay to become more competitive?
  • Consider remote interviewing techniques as much as possible.
  • Update onboarding practices and check-in with new hires regularly
  • If you are recalling only some workers that were laid-off/furloughed, ensure your practices for determining who to recall do not discriminate any groups of employees.

• Review and revise work from home and childcare policies. Example

• Update work travel policies considering any new state orders and any document new practices being implemented in the workplace to keep employee/customers safe. Example

• Review rehire/reinstate provisions for your benefit policies (eligibility/waiting periods).

Health and Safety

• Explain company policies and procedures related to illness, cleaning and disinfecting, and work meetings and travel.

• Educate employees on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at home and at work (follow CDC Control and Prevention Recommendations).

• For employees returning to a worksite, make sure to document expectations. Employee’s should understand what’s expected for them in the workplace in writing. Example

  • Will they be required to wear a face mask or face covering?
  • Will protective items and hand sanitizer be provided?
  • Are workplace hours different?
  • Will you be taking employee’s temperatures each day when they arrive?
  • Is teleworking or staggering shift work allowed/encouraged?
  • Physical work space changes (i.e., seating)?
  • Foot traffic flow?

• Ensure that all employees who are currently ill, become sick or have contact with an ill family member stay home (follow CDC recommendations for length of time).

• Promote CDC Guidelines on safe social distancing in the workplace by encouraging employees to:

  • Remain at least 6 feet away from each other.
  • Email, message, call, or video call rather than meeting face to face.
  • Clean computer equipment, desktops, phone and workstations often.

• Provide hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and face masks or face coverings (where appropriate/necessary) and no-touch disposable receptacles.

• Place CDC posters throughout the business to encourage social distancing and hand hygiene (discouraging handshaking).

Best Practices

• Be aware of any local public health or other orders related to COVID-19 that may affect your business.

• Ensure you workplace cleaning company is up to date on current methods of safety removing COVID-19 hazards.

• Acknowledge that employees may feel unsettled about returning the workplace. Acknowledge concerns and treat announcements with sensitivity.

• Be prepared to quickly investigate and stop discriminatory speech or acts in the workplace.

• Remind employees of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or consider an EAP if one not in place.

• Designate a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues and their impact at the workplace.

• Welcome employees back to work, communicate your appreciation and develop a plan to operate and communicate (i.e., if absenteeism spikes or if another shelter-in-place/stay at home order occurs in the future) - (example) :

  • Implement plan to continue essential business functions.

  • Implement flexible work schedules and leave policies.

  • Cross-train employees on performing essential business functions.

• Develop emergency communication plans, including a way to answer workers’ concerns.

• Reflect on changes that resulted due to COVID-19.  What has benefited your business and may be good practices to keep moving forward?

• Consult with Human Resources, Legal counsel and Financial experts.

Sample documents

(Contact your HR Business Partner for assistance):

• Sample - Employee Return to Work Survey *
• Sample - General Notice to employees of Workplace Exposure to Employee of COVID-19*
• Sample - Notice to employees of exposure to employee with positive COVID test*
• Sample - Return to work letter*
• Sample - Work from Home policy
• Sample - Safe return to work guidelines
• CDC – Fact Sheet
• CDC – Clean Hands

To learn more about QTI can help your organization with its HR needs, contact us.

Note: This material is offered for general information only.  It does not provide, nor is it intended to provide tax or legal advice.

 * Taken from ThinkHR and Akerman, LLP