To assist you with the next stage in your pandemic preparedness strategy, we created this Return To Work Checklist.
The checklist includes everything you need for planning and executing your return to work strategy, including several templates for sample policies and employee communications.
If you prefer to view the checklist in PDF, click here to download the checklist in pdf.
1. Posting 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 intraweb or employee website.
- Click here to access and review the Return to Work Preparedness and take action as necessary.
- Review and revise leave policies:
- Know how the FFCRA affects your previous policies and practices.
- Consider implementing PTO/vacation rollovers, grace periods, and revise guidelines for usage if vacation is forfeited if not used by year-end.
- Ensure that all employees have access to and an understanding of all leave policies that may apply to them.
- Review and revise work from home policies. Click here to access Work from Home resources/templates.
2. Health and Safety
- Prepare and implement a Coronavirus (COVID-19) specific company policy. Click here to access a sample Coronavirus (COVID-19) company policy.
- Help educate employees on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 at home and at work (Follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations).
- For employees returning to a worksite, make sure they understand what’s expected of them in the workplace. Click here to access a “Welcome Back to Work” template that outlines recommended return-to-work rules and guidelines for your employees.
- Provide hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and face coverings (where appropriate/ necessary) and no-touch disposal receptacles. Click here to access an employee “Face Covering Notice” template.
- Update the company’s Injury and Illness Prevention (IIPP) or Workplace Safety Policies based on Cal/OSHA’s requirements and guidelines. If you don’t have an IIPP or a Safety Policy in place, click here to access a sample.
- Communicate and disseminate the Return to Work policies to employees.
3. Best Practices
- Be aware of any local public health or other orders related to COVID-19 that may affect your business.
- Ensure your workplace cleaning company is up to date on current methods of safely removing COVID-19 hazards.
- Communicate frequently and as transparently as possible with employees:
- Provide expected timelines for recalling/rehiring employees.
- Provide returning employees with recall or offer letters. Click here to access an Employee Recall letter template.
- Train managers on dealing with employees that may face increased personal challenges during this time, such as bereavement and loss, childcare and school-cancellation challenges, financial stress, and other dependent care and support needs.
- Consider implementing an employee assistance program (EAP) if you do not currently have one in place.
- Designate a “Workplace Coordinator” who will help develop plans for implementing various communications/response plans, help assess risk and prepare plans to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, track absenteeism at work due to COVID related illnesses, etc.
- Develop emergency communications/response plans, including a way to answer workers’ concerns. Click here to access an Emergency Response Plan.
- Be prepared on how to respond to employees who don’t want to return to the office. Click here for more info.
Disclaimer: This checklist is meant to provide general guidelines and should be used as a reference. It may not take into account all relevant local, state, or federal laws and practices and is not a legal document. Melita Group will not assume any legal liability that may arise from the use of this checklist or policies contained within.
