By Jason Eisenberg

Community Program Manager for Office Depot

Reopening your business can be an exciting time for you as the economy attempts to open up, but it can also be stressful with all of the new safety precautions encouraged by health officials – face masks should just be the tip of the iceberg. As more businesses enter reopening phases based on local restrictions and guidelines, employers are faced with issues many likely never thought much about before the year 2020. Below are some of the most common issues employers are facing (and answering) as we progress further into the new normal. 

1. State and local restrictions on reopening business.

Probably one of the first things you need to pay attention to is whether your business – essential or nonessential – is permitted to be open in your area. If so, are there specific restrictions based on your operations or location? If your local guidelines deem it OK to reopen, it’s time to think about the key questions that can affect your business and the people in it. 

2. Facility changes to follow recommended guidelines.

Such changes may include modifying the workplace to address social distancing, addressing the areas where social distancing isn’t possible and identifying the high-frequency touch points that need to be thoroughly cleaned.

Workspace

Take a look at your workspace. Can your employees walk around and maintain six feet of space between one another as the CDC suggests? If not, it may be time to do some rearranging of the space so distancing is more feasible. If six feet of space cannot be maintained, the CDC encourages face masks to be utilized.

Lines

If your business previously queued customers with lines, many businesses have adapted with either electronic queues (text/email/ping) so no line is necessary. If your business still requires physical lines (like grocery stores and retail), you can use signage and floor decals to delineate six feet of space.

Adding protection

Another tip is to literally add a barrier between people who interact with each other. Particularly for retail, food service or where one-on-one interactions take place, it might be helpful to install a sneeze guard to decrease the risk of transmission for both employees and customer, per the CDC.

3. Employees returning to the office.

The CDC has detailed criteria for what responsibly returning to work looks like, and here a few key takeaways to consider:

• Vulnerable employees who may have underlying medical conditions
  
• Those who may have contracted Covid-19 (testing is another component to consider)
• Employees who may have family members at home who are vulnerable

Over the past few months many businesses took to remote working and some have found it surprisingly productive. One alternative could be to have half your team working from home and the other half staggering their hours in the office.

4. Screening employees and customers.

If you are considering screening and testing at your place of business, the requirements guidelines vary by your local public health authorities. If you plan to do symptom/temperature checks, the CDC protocol is designed to help protect the screener as well.  

5. Be prepared for the unexpected.

Now that we’ve experienced a shut down, consider what could have gone smoother when you transitioned your teams to remote work or implemented curbside pickup/contactless delivery.

For a detailed guide on how businesses can reopen responsibly, visit the CDC’s “Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to COVID-19”.

Sources & Citations:

Business Employers [CDC]

Corona Virus Business Reopenings

New Study Finds 2 out of 3 Americans Say They Are Not Comfortable

Returning to the Workplace Right Now

Non Covid-19 Client Interaction [CDC]

Return to Work Planning Guide: 10 Questions to Ask Before Bringing Your Employees Back

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.