In the interests of public health, many businesses closed temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. When preparing to resume operations, you can take steps to ensure employees are safe and comfortable. Find out what human resources considerations to incorporate into your reopening plan and how an HR company can help.

3-Step HR Checklist for Reopening a Business After COVID-19

1. Establish Safety Guidelines

Determine when and where employees need to wear masks, and whether they need to bring their own or if the company will provide them. You may also want to reconfigure your office space to allow for the recommended six feet of social distancing. 

Some employees may not be comfortable coming back to work, so set up a telecommuting policy that includes when it is and isn’t possible. Video conferencing can help telecommuters and cut down on personal contact inside the office. An HR company can advise on quality telecommunication tools.

2. Create a Sanitation Plan

More stringent sanitation measures will help keep employees healthy and offer reassurance. Employ more frequent office cleaning, and install hand sanitizers around the space. Eliminate shared devices, like staplers and printers.

If possible, your business may want to limit face-to-face client meetings to avoid contamination. If this isn’t an option, find ways to restrict numbers of visitors that arrive in the office, and make visits possible only with an appointment.   Move what communication options you have online.  Request that all visitors wear masks and have hand santizer readily available for their use.

3. Communicate Your Safety & Sanitation Steps

Put your new safety and sanitation guidelines into writing, and communicate them clearly to all staff. This could involve email communication, coupled with signage around the office. Consider including instructional videos such as this one on hand-washing. For convenience, appoint a person to draft the guidelines and monitor the new rules. Make sure they know who to go to with questions or concerns.

Finally, include a contingency plan in your business COVID-19 guidelines. If an outbreak occurs, you may want to temporarily revert to teleworking, and have employees complete a health questionnaire before returning to the workplace. An HR company can create a COVID-19 emergency plan for you, letting you focus on your business.

Let Talent HR Solutions of Honolulu, HI, support your reopening plan. In business since 2003, these professionals are known for their diligent, detail-oriented work. Their expert team handles everything from executive search recruitment to payroll services. Learn more about their HR consulting services online. To discuss your COVID-19 business reopening needs, call (808) 354-0498.