Last week, Premier Ford announced phase 1 of a plan to ease restrictions related to COVID-19. Some workplaces and businesses were included, but only those that have the capability to maintain prevention measures currently in place. The rest of us will have to wait. However, there is still plenty of planning you can do now to ensure that your reopening goes as smoothly as possible.
Here are some key areas for consideration as you plan for the reopening of your office.
Educate staff on the virus
There is a lot of misinformation or assumptions around the virus. It’s important that staff fully understand the real risk and transmission of the virus.
- COVID-19 is a virus spread via droplets. In other words, you can only catch the virus if you ingest droplets from someone who is COVID-19 positive, even if they have no symptoms.
- Close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual increases risk of exposure of contracting the virus.
- Close contact is defined by Health Canada as having unprotected contact (no personal protective equipment on either party) within 2 metres or 6 feet of a COVID -19 positive individuals from 10 to 15 minutes or longer or
- unprotected contact with respiratory secretions (sneezing, coughing) or fecal matter from a person with COVID-19 (with no PPE on either party)
The best way to protect one’s self is:
- to practice social distancing (2 metres or 6 feet apart) always
- to wash hands regularly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds
- Only touch your face with freshly washed hands
- Cover your cough or sneeze and then practice good hand hygiene immediately
- Wear a mask to prevent the risk of spreading the virus inadvertently to others
Decide who comes back to work and when
Should all employees return on the same day or in stages?
- You may want to re-open in stages. For example, there may be some roles that are having a more difficult time working from home. For example, Accounts payable might be a priority as perhaps not all invoices come in electronically.
- Some staff could come for a few weeks and test the protocols then the rest could join when you feel you have any challenges sorted out
- You may choose to stagger work hours to limit the number of people in the office at the same time
- People in individual offices may feel safer than those who work in cubicles. Consider installing protective shields to protect those who are working in cubicles
- Anyone in a high-risk group may need to work from home for an extended period or until cleared to return to work by their medical doctor. Typically, at-risk individuals are those over 70 years old or anyone with an underlying health condition which increases the risk of contracting COVID-19. These individuals should provide supporting documentation from their doctors. (Typically, asthma and heart conditions and other immune-suppressing disorders.)
Establish Cleaning and PPE protocols
Staff will want to know what the cleaning routines are for the building and for the offices. There are protocols set out by public health that indicate the standard cleaning requirements. You may want to ask for information from your landlord and office cleaners to ensure it meets the public health standard. You should share the cleaning regimens with staff.
Consider questions like:
- What protocols are in place for the kitchen area? Do you use recyclable cups and dishes so that people are not exposed to other people’s saliva that might be on a cup, glass, plate or cutlery? Do you ask staff to clean their reusable dishes and cutlery themselves after each use?
- What about hand sanitizer? Will you provide it for staff?
- Will you need to provide hand soap at the kitchen sink?
- What is your protocol about staff wearing masks? Do they wear masks, or do they simply need to maintain social distancing? Is it optional?
- Surgical paper masks are good for about 2 hours and then need to be replaced as they get damp. You will need to educate staff on the removing and disposing of masks.
- If they use reusable cloth masks, they will need to make sure they are washed every night.
- What things might you need to order and in what quantities?
- What is your expectation around deliveries? Who touches them and how?
- How will you manage meetings?
- Will people take them from their office location over video or will you sit in a meeting room with 2 metres between you?
Set guidelines around illness and being at work
Consider a policy that encourages employees feeling ill to work from home. Any staff member or person who they are living with who has COVID-19 like symptoms should get tested and self-isolate from up to a maximum of 14 days from when they had symptoms. Those with symptoms should go for testing and can return to work if they have a negative test result. Staff should only return to work after a negative test result.
Anyone who has been exposed to someone (see definition of exposure above) and is at high risk from exposure needs to have a negative test result prior to returning to work. While waiting for the negative test they need to self-isolate at home.
Anyone who has been in close contact (see definition above) within 48 hours of someone contracting COVID-19 needs to get tested. They can only return to work with a negative test result.
Typically, any employee working from home as part of a policy to self-isolate will be paid for the time they are at home.
Seek general feedback from staff re COVID-19 concerns
Hold a virtual staff meeting to ask:
- for input on things,
- about their fears or concerns.
Give them an option to provide feedback during the meeting or by email if they prefer.
For more information or clarification on any of these areas, you may contact Principal Sarah Hisey.
