A Full Guide to Reopening Offices With Tips From Microsoft, Amazon

2020-05-12T14:58:00.000Z

A group led by Seattle-based venture firm Madrona Venture Group surveyed local employers including Microsoft, Amazon, Costco, Redfin, Alaska Airlines and more to create a guide to help smaller companies plan to reopen offices amid the coronavirus crisis.

Dubbed the "toolkit for reopening the office and getting back to work," it provides a step-by-step guide to planning for your company's return to the office.

Here's the full guide:

The guide includes both broad mandates and specific resources.

Even when the time comes to reopen workplaces, employers will have to take many precautions until a vaccine is developed and widespread testing is available.

For now, remote work should always be the first choice.

Ultimately, employers should take approach reopening offices as a three-step process.

Carefully planning the return
Preparing the office to ensure safety and physical distancing
Preparing employees through communication and training

First, the planning phase...

One of the first steps is establishing a "task force" to plan the return that includes representatives from legal, HR, and facilities, as well as key exec leadership.

Come up with a plan for who should return to work, when. It's best to take a tiered approach.

Building employee trust during the process is key, and the best way to do that is through "early, consistent, and transparent communication."

To prepare the office, consider things like workplace PPE and how to screen employees.

Employers should consider providing personal protective equipment to all on-site employees, which could include re-useable masks, hand sanitizer and antiseptic hand wipes, infrared thermometers, and gloves.

In the office, employers should limit or close communal areas, such as shutting down food service areas and gyms, and start "robust cleaning procedures."

Employers should work closely with building management to ensure cleaning staff are adequately trained and that policies about public areas are aligned.

Help employees with physical distancing through measures such as floor marking, physical barriers such as plexiglass for IT teams, and removing extra seats.

Employers should restrict group sizes to less than five or 10 people and eliminate or limit visitors. Consider restricting travel and ask employees who travel to higher risk areas to self-quarantine for 14 days after they return.

Providing on-site screening is considered a best practice for reopening offices.

Consider tracking meeting times, dates and attendees and storing the information for 28 days. (Check local guidances as this guide contains information specific to Washington state.)

Screen everyone the first time they enter the building each day.

Create a protocol for what to do if an employee has COVID or COVID-like symptoms, including notifying anyone who may have come into contact with them at work.

Importantly, make sure employees feel comfortable self-identifying any symptoms.

Now for the third phase: Preparing employees.

Provide training on topics like how to spot and self-report COVID-19 symptoms, how to take care of personal protective equipment, and physical distancing.

Trainings can happen through live-webinars, video series, or one-on-one meetings. Consider anonymous surveys to allow employees to offer honest feedback on if they are ready to go back to a physical work environment, and continue surveying employees once they've returned.

Here's a full guide to reopening your workplace, according to top companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Here's a full guide to reopening your workplace, according to top companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks

The guide includes both broad mandates and specific resources.

Even when the time comes to reopen workplaces, employers will have to take many precautions until a vaccine is developed and widespread testing is available.

For now, remote work should always be the first choice.

Ultimately, employers should take approach reopening offices as a three-step process.

First, the planning phase...

Are enough employees willing to return to the workplace? Is the physical office capable of accommodating new social distancing and cleaning policies? These are questions employers should ask themselves.

One of the first steps is establishing a "task force" to plan the return that includes representatives from legal, HR, and facilities, as well as key exec leadership.

Come up with a plan for who should return to work, when. It's best to take a tiered approach.

Building employee trust during the process is key, and the best way to do that is through "early, consistent, and transparent communication."

To prepare the office, consider things like workplace PPE and how to screen employees.

Employers should consider providing personal protective equipment to all on-site employees, which could include re-useable masks, hand sanitizer and antiseptic hand wipes, infrared thermometers, and gloves.

In the office, employers should limit or close communal areas, such as shutting down food service areas and gyms, and start "robust cleaning procedures."

Employers should work closely with building management to ensure cleaning staff are adequately trained and that policies about public areas are aligned.

Help employees with physical distancing through measures such as floor marking, physical barriers such as plexiglass for IT teams, and removing extra seats.

Employers should restrict group sizes to less than five or 10 people and eliminate or limit visitors. Consider restricting travel and ask employees who travel to higher risk areas to self-quarantine for 14 days after they return.

Providing on-site screening is considered a best practice for reopening offices.

Consider tracking meeting times, dates and attendees and storing the information for 28 days. (Check local guidances as this guide contains information specific to Washington state.)

Screen everyone the first time they enter the building each day.

Create a protocol for what to do if an employee has COVID or COVID-like symptoms, including notifying anyone who may have come into contact with them at work.

Importantly, make sure employees feel comfortable self-identifying any symptoms.

Now for the third phase: Preparing employees.

Provide training on topics like how to spot and self-report COVID-19 symptoms, how to take care of personal protective equipment, and physical distancing.

Trainings can happen through live-webinars, video series, or one-on-one meetings. Consider anonymous surveys to allow employees to offer honest feedback on if they are ready to go back to a physical work environment, and continue surveying employees once they've returned.

Provide at least weekly COVID response team updates.

Communicate processes and expectations for returning to work, such as changes to work flexibility or benefit policies and workplace guidelines.

Consult legal counsel to understand privacy regulations.

Information about employee illnesses, for example, should be treated as confidential medical records and stored separately from personnel files.

Importantly, be flexible and stay up-to-date.

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

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