COVID-19 Back to Work Checklist

COVID-19 Back to Work Checklist

COVID-19 Checklist to mitigate the risk to your team

As regions start to open up again, people will gradually begin to go back to working in their offices. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding physical contact and sanitizing shared surfaces frequently not only apply to our personal lives, but to the workplace as well.

Returning to work after COVID-19 will involve a new way of thinking for both employers and employees.  To ease the transition, teams will need to make changes to policies, procedures and processes to keep everyone healthy and safe.

This COVID-19 Back to Work checklist includes some steps to take as you prepare your organization for returning to work after the COVID-19 pandemic. Check off each item and you’ll know you’re on your way to protecting your employees’ physical and mental well-being.

With new health and safety guidelines being issued on a daily basis Over and Above have reviewed in detail the latest EU and Irish best practice guidelines to enable you to get you team back to work in a safer and more compliant manner.

Our Pillars for Getting back to Work

  1. Leadership: Clear Management Strategy
  2. Simple Clear Communication Strategy
  3. Reduce Physical Content to Help Reduce Spread of Germs
  4. Respect Safe Distances
  5. We are all in this together: Encourage Staff to be Personally Responsible

Return to Work Covid-19 Checklist:

Update Policies and Procedures

  • Designate a COVID-19 Officer to handle all related issues
  • Create easy to understand Going Back to Work Response Plan
  • Outline temperature control procedures
  • Onsite – Update H&S Method statements and Risk assessments
  • Company to share H&S statement with staff
  • Implement no handshake policy in the office
  • Outline procedure for anyone feeling sick at work
  • Set an induction date for all staff to participate in – min. 3 days ahead of suggested going back to work date
  • Induction form to be completed by staff individually if they have any underlying health issues, been in contact with Covid patients and understand the symptoms of the virus should they get it
  • Create a visitor/contractor log and questionnaire for contact tracing

Make the Workplace Safe from Covid-19

  • Communication strategy in the office – posters, floor markers and partitions
  • Identify furniture or finishings that might pose a risk – fabric or small sofas
  • Implement social distance of 1m minimum with screens where possible

Keep Employees Safe from Covid-19

  • Help staff understand safe distance with zones in the office
  • Outline layouts for canteen areas
  • Outline hygiene stations
  • Outline new cleaning protocols

Support Employees’ Mental Health

  • Ask staff individually if they have any issues travelling to work
  • Reach out to staff and notify them of who the Covid Officer is

Restore Productivity

  • Address Issues: Can company consider changing work patterns? Start earlier or later to avoid congested times.
  • Address challenges of working from home

Encourage Social Interaction

  • Outline layouts for breakout areas
  • Outline new layout that meets physical distancing requirements for safe return to working desk

Download this Covid-19 Back to Work Checklist