preparing your workplace for employees to return.

Before your employees can return to work, you will need to prepare your workspace and take precautions such as deep cleaning and ensuring your facilities allow for protective measures such as physical distancing.

Here are some considerations when setting up your facilities for workers to return:

general guidelines.

• Clearly communicate the procedures for workplace access to employees before they return so they know the procedures they will need to follow when entering work premises (i.e. restricted use of elevators, temperature checks upon entry, etc.)
• Post signs and notices about new procedures at entry points in a visible place.
• If possible, place hand washing stations at entry points to your workplace.
• Supply hand sanitiser dispensers in common areas and entrances.
• Post signage and reminders about proper hand washing in washrooms and at hand washing stations.

workplace layouts.

• Set up desks and workspaces at least 2 metres apart, to ensure physical distancing wherever possible.
• If separating desks is not possible, have employees occupy every second desk.
• Organise a reservation system for meeting rooms, printers, and other shared resources, if applicable.
• Establish protocols to move in a clockwise direction in corridors, hallways and narrow spaces.
• Put markers on the floor so employees can visualise how far they should stand apart.

clean offices and facilities.

• Ensure COVID-19-level disinfection prior to every shift.
• If you haven’t already, hire cleaning staff.
• Common areas should be cleaned at least once per day.
• High-touch surfaces (such as doorknobs) should be cleaned even more frequently.