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 |
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Who is the decision maker?
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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
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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?
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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.
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Offer flexibility wherever possible and adjust workloads to be reasonable.
Postings and Policies |
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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.
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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.
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Review and revise work from home and childcare policies. Example
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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
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Review rehire/reinstate provisions for your benefit policies (eligibility/waiting periods).
Health and Safety |
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Explain company policies and procedures related to illness, cleaning and disinfecting, and work meetings and travel.
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Educate employees on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at home and at work (follow CDC Control and Prevention Recommendations).
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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?
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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).
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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.
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Provide hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and face masks or face coverings (where appropriate/necessary) and no-touch disposable receptacles.
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Place CDC posters throughout the business to encourage social distancing and hand hygiene (discouraging handshaking).
Best Practices |
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Be aware of any local public health or other orders related to COVID-19 that may affect your business.
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Ensure you workplace cleaning company is up to date on current methods of safety removing COVID-19 hazards.
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Acknowledge that employees may feel unsettled about returning the workplace. Acknowledge concerns and treat announcements with sensitivity.
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Be prepared to quickly investigate and stop discriminatory speech or acts in the workplace.
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Remind employees of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or consider an EAP if one not in place.
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Designate a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues and their impact at the workplace.
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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) :
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Implement plan to continue essential business functions.
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Implement flexible work schedules and leave policies.
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Cross-train employees on performing essential business functions.
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Develop emergency communication plans, including a way to answer workers’ concerns.
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Reflect on changes that resulted due to COVID-19. What has benefited your business and may be good practices to keep moving forward?
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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