Reopening Your Business

Tips for being safe as you plan reopening of your business

Business owners are ready to start making money again. Some employees are ready to get back to the office. Customers are eager to start buying again. Everyone is excited to get back to business.

Here are some suggestions for reopening—safely, efficiently, and legally—now that most states have started lifting their lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

Reopen in phases. Where possible, continue to encourage employees to work remotely. Stagger the return of your most essential teams. One team might come to the office for a designated time, then return to teleworking as another team takes its place. As part of this process, consider upgrading your teleconferencing capabilities to minimize non-essential business travel.

Prepare the workspace. Don’t wait until employees walk through the door to make changes. Disinfect frequently-touched areas. In reception and customer service areas, install glass or Plexiglass partitions so people can talk and exchange items with minimal exposure. Pare down the number of chairs in break rooms to discourage large groups. Add covers to tablets, touchscreens, keyboards and remote controls. Provide hand-sanitizer stations outside restrooms and near frequently-used doors.

Revise processes. Most employees are now accustomed to social distancing protocols at stores and other venues. Maintain those parameters in your offices and warehouses. Consider staggering breaks, implementing split shifts or limiting access to common gathering areas such as those around water coolers and copy machines. Arrange for outside pick-up and drop-off of packages. Hire food delivery trucks to serve employees on their lunch breaks to deter large gatherings and minimize physical contact.

Implement routine health checks. Establish a policy detailing guidelines for recording and storing employee health information, including taking temperatures. This will help employees feel safe in a healthy environment when they return to the office.

Train, train, train. Consider bringing in a healthcare professional to explain to employees how germs are spread and to describe the reasons for implementing new social distancing and sanitation procedures. Instruct cleaning staff on the use and proper disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE). Explain emergency communication protocols should an employee test positive for COVID-19.

CDC Resource: Click here for the CDC’s businesses and workplaces resource on how to plan, prepare and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As always, we hope you find our tips and news for businesses valuable, and look forward to receiving your feedback. Companies focused on growth have sought the help of Insero & Co. for more than 40 years. During that time they have consistently experienced the peace of mind that comes from knowing their CPA firm takes the concept of integrity seriously. Should you have any questions, please contact us directly.