Tips to Prepare for Opening Up Business

In a recent webinar, experts from Paychex HR shared critical information for businesses to consider during the reopening process including new workplace safety considerations, best practices for supporting employees and more.

Watch the full presentation and download the resources provided here

Below are a few of the tips the experts covered for reopening your business:

• Determine your target date for re-opening and decide when you will bring employees back to the workplace (as well as timing for others).
• Establish fact-based criteria that are consistent with your legitimate business needs, apply them consistently and document the reasons for your decisions. Employment decisions cannot be based on reasons that violate federal, state, or local law anti-discrimination laws.

• Decide in advance what job roles can be effectively handled at home and consider proactively offering employees the opportunity to work remotely.
• Evaluate how having fewer employees at your place of business may better allow for social distancing and reconfiguration.
• Factor in compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws.

• Determine new COVID-19 related legal requirements.
• Create and implement any COVID-19 related and other policies/protocols (update posters as needed).
• Ensure that the new hire and rehire employee documents are ready to go, such as the employee handbook, Form I-9 and W-4, etc.
• Determine the status of health plans, cafeteria plans, and other fringe benefit plans, such as vision and dental.
• Check employee handbooks or other policies to determine if any modifications are necessary.
• If bringing employees back to the workplace, issue a letter or email offering return to work, which covers: (1) Whether the employee is being recalled/rehired into same position; (2) Pay rate. Note: Employers receiving loans available under the CARES Act and who are seeking loan forgiveness for payroll costs have certain obligations to restore and maintain compensation and benefits levels.

• Stagger on-site hours and attendance of employees, continuing full or partial work from home assignments, etc.
• Reassign or reconfigure workspaces to ensure additional room is available. This is especially critical in high traffic spaces where people can meet or interact in tight proximity, such as entranceways, meeting rooms, and break areas.
• Remember to check any requirements or guidance from your state and local health departments.

• Supply hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and hand soap for employee use throughout the on-site location.
• Remind employees to wash hands frequently, disinfect their work space, and practice coughing and sneezing etiquette.
• Prohibit employees from sharing office equipment or work tools without sanitizing/sterilizing in between uses.
• Implement regular cleaning protocols and consistent deep cleaning.

• Consider whether to provide employees with safety equipment, such as masks, gloves, face/eye protection, gowns, or other equipment suggested by OSHA.
• If either federal/state law or the employer requires employees to wear protective equipment in the workplace, the employer must pay for it.