McDonald’s recently distributed 59-page guidelines to its franchised restaurant owners setting the conditions for the re-opening of a restaurant.
The instructions asked for dozens of changes, covering everything from how to enforce social distancing to recommending a $718 touchless sink to reduce hand contact in bathrooms.
Twitter on May 12 announced that its employees could permanently work from home, even after the COVID19 work from home orders are withdrawn.
CEO Jack Dorsey said in an employee memo that no office will open until September and, even then, on a careful, office-by-office rolling program.
There will be no Twitter company events this year and business travel is under review.
McDonald’s and Twitter are just two of many examples of how the return to work is not going to be easy for anyone.
And that is assuming that your business is roughly the same size and shape as it was before the impact of the pandemic.
One recent study suggested that a quarter of restaurants will not re-open.
Another concluded that airline passengers can expect to see reduced travel options, fewer flight delays and cancellations, more bag fees and miscellaneous charges and fuller and more expensive flights.
So, what can you do to ensure a successful and safe return to work for your employees?
I mentioned in last week’s blog a comprehensive and detailed look at best practices for the return to work from the national law firm, Stinson.
The Stinson guide contains a very thorough list of policies that require review before a return to work.
Hold your breath, the list is a long one!
- Attendance: Fewer in-person meetings, defining essential on-side workers and guidance for high-risk team members.
- Visitors: Policies for third parties, contractors and work travel.
- Leave: Incorporate new federal or state sick leave laws.
- Entering & Exiting: Screening procedures and the impact on hours & pay.
- Privacy: Practices related to the gathering of additional data for social distancing and screening purposes.
- Behavior: Workplace conduct related to sanitation and hygiene.
- Safety: New social distancing and PPE policies.
- Social Media: Particularly regarding the disclosing of employees’ personal health information.
- Overtime: Anticipate increased absences through infection or quarantine.
- Emergency Closing: Prepare for a 2nd or even a 3rd pandemic wave.
- Training: Delivered remotely before the return to work to ensure employees understand the new policies – and whether that is paid time.
The return to work is going to be a roller coaster for many organizations.
We will continue to pay attention to studies, best practice and the experience of others to help build your roadmap in the recovery from this unprecedented crisis.
THE IN CASE OF CRISIS ‘COVID-19 PLAYBOOK’
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SOURCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION & UPDATES
The latest official national & international updates are available here:
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)
Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
World Health Organization (WHO)
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