Businesses face challenges in Reopening after Coronavirus

Posted on June 17, 2020June 18, 2020 by Keith

Businesses face challenges in reopening after Coronavirus. Why? Well, there are several reasons, from temperature checks and whether to do them, even if you can. Sourcing cleaning supplies, added security, enforcing social distancing, and finding out employees don’t want to return to work yet.

Below we mention some of these issues and provide some recommendations on how to handle each situation to make your reopening a little bit smoother.

Employees May Not Want to Return to Work Yet

With every disaster or major disruption, there is also a psychological impact. This is particularly true when it comes to the Coronavirus. The biggest reason your employees might not be ready or even refuse to return to work is they may feel unsafe.

Another reason for this is many employers are discovering they have to compete with higher unemployment payments that may be greater than the employee’s actual earnings.

Yet, another often overlooked issue may be how employees get to and from work. Employees that don’t have transportation, may look to avoid public transportation and even carpooling to avoid contact with other people. This may cause them to refuse to return to work.

Recommendations on Employee Safety:

One of the first things you should do when you first begin to consider avoiding challenges in reopening after coronavirus is to set up a series of one-to-one calls with your employees and survey them about returning to work. Find out their concerns, fears, and doubts directly from them. Don’t just assume they will all want to return right away. Some employees may need some extra coaxing.

Another thing you can do to ease this transition is to have employees meet at the worksite to visually observe and experience the proactive steps you’re taking to ensure the safety of not only them but customers and others who may come to the worksite. Have them experience and participate in the cleaning and sanitization process. Let them see and experience social distancing policies. Have them help set up for social distancing by actively measuring out 6-foot distances.

Have them wear their face coverings before entering the worksite and experience what it is like to wear it continuously while working and discussing the proactive steps being taken to overcome the challenges in reopening after coronavirus. Then reassess their comfort level. Do they still have concerns? Can they be addressed further?

Recommendations on Employee Compensation:

You may have to consider offering increased compensation policies or even a one-time bonus incentive to encourage employees to return. If for instance, you implement all the safety measures you can, and many employees still refuse to return consider increasing the hourly pay rate or a one-time return to work bonus. We witnessed businesses that remained open and offered a $2 per/hour increase encouraged people to return and increased the number of new applications for employment

There are currently discussions taking place on having government subsidizing a return to work through incentives. For example –Idaho is paying people $1,500.00 to return to work. Many employers that remained open during the coronavirus increased pay and offered other compensation incentives should employees become ill or perhaps exposed, such as increased sick leave and pay during quarantine periods.

Whether other Local, State, and Federal governments end up providing some type of return to work incentive remains to be seen.

Recommendation on Employee Transportation:

If you have employees that utilize public transportation, they may be concerned about traveling to and from work. This may be a bigger concern than the safety of your worksite. Additionally, some employees that car-pooled in the past may no longer be willing to do so.

While some of your employees may refuse to utilize public transportation altogether during this time, one of the solutions you can implement to reduce challenges in reopening after coronavirus is to allow employees to take public transportation to travel during off-peak times. This will allow them to travel and share contact with fewer people and less crowded transportation. This may take some trial and error since many businesses may implement the same policies. Also, Public transportation may allow for fewer riders, and commute times may increase. Anticipate and allow for this.

You may want to consider informing carpoolers that are not domiciled together to take extra precautions. Such as wearing face coverings while traveling together. Suggest they take other precautions as well, like those the CDC recommends for Ridesharing, taxi, and limo service.

As a last resort, if cost-effective and feasible you may want to consider hiring your transportation for employees. You can either have them expense their transportation or hire a shuttle bus that allows for social distance spacing provide pickup and drop off service for employees.

Social Distancing May be Harder Than You Think

Included in social distancing mandates in some localities is a reduction in the number of people allowed into a worksite. This reduction doesn’t just include customers, it includes your employees as well.

Some businesses will have the added challenges in reopening after coronavirus by having to select which employees can return, and which do not. On top of that, will you be able to have enough staff on-site to handle any customers that need service? Too little, and customers will have to wait longer than what they may deem acceptable. Too many, and your costs increase, and profits decrease. For some businesses, this will be a continuous balancing act and for others, it will be a non-issue.

The next challenge you’ll encounter is if your worksite has enough space and flow for employees to be socially distanced and still be able to work effectively. You’ll also have to consider breakrooms, restrooms, hallways, and small spaces, and what about the reception area?

Recommendation on Social Distancing:

Make sure you have clear and concise signage that explains the social distancing policy at your entrances and displayed throughout your worksite.

Next, you’ll want to incorporate clear visuals and signage that shows 6-foot distancing clearly. You’ll also want to implement a nonpunitive and friendly reminder policy where all employees can remind others, including customers and guests of the social distancing policy.

Temperature Checks Are Not A Panacea

While this sounds like a great way to ensure employee safety, it includes its own set of challenges. Where will you source the preferred no-touch thermometers? Will you use and implement thermal cameras and where will you source them? Many scams are out there in sourcing for both – do your due diligence. Who will take employee temperatures? Other employees? Managers? Self-checks? Should you hire an outside vendor? What type of vendor? Will, you set up screens and barriers for the checkers? What about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and what kind? Will you record or not record temperatures? If you do you will have to comply with HIPAA, and how will you do that?

It doesn’t end there. What is your policy if someone has a temperature of 100.4°F? Sure, you won’t allow them access to the worksite, but then what? Do they need to self-quarantine? Do they need to go to a doctor? Get tested for COVID-19? How and when can they return? Also, they are now covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Once you send them off-premise, do you require contact tracing for those around that person? If so, how far back will you go?

Next, how will you go about getting the temperature? The CDC guidance calls for doing this before entering the facility or worksite to minimize exposure. This, however, has proven extremely difficult to implement and most employers that are implementing temperature screening are doing it just after the employees enter the facility. Outside increased temperatures of as little as 80°F and people traveling in hot cars have caused false positives. One client implemented utilizing a large swamp cooler outside the entrance to help reduce this. Another potential problem seen is people trying to reduce their temperatures with icepacks. How will you handle that?

Then we have compensation issues to worry about. Having employees waiting in line before the start of their shift or day can cause delays, lateness, and if required is considered part of work.

All of these issues combine to create immense challenges in reopening after coronavirus. Many businesses that start off planning to implement temperature screening tend to abandon it once they’re confronted with the challenges of implementing it.

Recommendations for Temperature Screening:

Now that you are aware of many of the challenges around temperature screening, the first step to take if you’re still considering this is to create a written plan on how you will meet these and other issues you encounter.

Once you address this through a written plan, conduct a walkthrough of the area where you will be doing the temperature screenings. Ensure that you will have enough space for the screener, any barriers you will use, and the person being screened. Next consider the time to check each person and how long it will take to check each employee, guest, and vendor entering the facility.

Next, we recommend hiring a vendor to do the actual temperature screening if possible. If you’re a small business and can’t afford to hire a vendor, utilize your employees to check other employees, or have them conduct self-checks.

Work out and talk through all the potential iterations of what will happen when an employee has a temperature of 100.4°F. Write these policies and procedures down, and do not deviate from them.

We highly recommend that you do not record temperature readings from any employee, whether normal, high, or below normal. Speaking of below normal. You’ll have to decide what to do when someone has a below normal temperature because it will happen.

If you deploy thermal cameras, we recommend people spend time training and getting used to them. There will be a learning curve as to where the camera picks up high temperatures and you may need to use a backup touchless check as well. From experience, thermal cameras work well and speed up the process overall but will also cause significant false positives when the outside temperatures climb. Some may require constant calibration as well as temperature changes occur in the surrounding environment.

Beware of Scams:

Always do your due diligence when researching vendors and products. We as well as clients have run into numerous scams and fake vendors while researching temperature screening solutions. Call clients listed on their sites and reach out to colleagues and see what they are using and where they obtained it. Also, never pay large upfront fees if you can avoid it.

Handling Visitors and Vendors

Another area that presents challenges in reopening after coronavirus is how to handle visitors, guests, and vendors. Early on, it was typical to prevent visitors of any kind from entering your facility. Today as we begin to reopen, visitors of some types are more expected. However, there are different types of visitors and you may want to handle each differently.

One type of visitor could be anyone that shows up unannounced. This could include family members of employees, job seekers, new vendors, or even local officials checking in on you.

Each situation might have to be handled differently, but you should have policies in place to prevent confusion.

Recommendations for Visitors of Employees:

We recommend people visiting your employees that are not doing business with you remain and wait outside your facility. This reduces both the number of people going into your facility and the need for testing or providing PPE to people who enter your worksite. Employees can meet with family, friends, and anyone else outside the worksite.

Recommendations for Job Seekers:

Place signage outside refusing admittance along with a number where they can seek assistance if necessary. Provide them with an online URL application completion process or your jobs/careers website address.

Recommendations for Vendors:

All vendors should have face coverings or a mask when entering the facility. You should also require hand sanitizing before entering as well. If you are going to temperature screen employees, you should do the same for all vendors entering the site for an extended period of greater than 30 minutes. You can also choose to check all of them before letting them into the facility. Set all sales/marketing and non-essential, non-delivery-based vendor meetings to teleconferencing only.

Request all vendors to provide touchless only options for billing.

Recommendations for All Visitors:

All visitors with permission to enter the worksite should sign in and out and provide a cell phone number along with whom they are visiting and why. Face coverings and hand sanitizing should be required. Limit all face to face meetings.

Going Contactless

You will need to set up touchless or contactless methods of interacting with customers and vendors. This includes payment collection methods and the providing of goods and services.

Recommendations for Going Contactless:

First, ask your payment processing vendors about their contactless options and services that you can provide to your clients. If you accept card payments, consider collecting the payment information over the phone and directly inputting it into your payment processing systems. We advise against writing it down and then putting it later. Additionally, you can offer to invoice the customer and accept payment later depending on the type of service you provide.

Next, come up with a delivery method to provide your goods and services to clients and customers. Offer curbside pickup and delivery. Allow, a limited number or one person into your establishment at a time to pick up your products.

Can you deliver some services through a teleconference, videoconference, or through the mail or email? If so, do it where you can.

Find additional ways you can provide goods and services to clients where possible.

Additional Needs

Consider what other additional needs you have. Some businesses require additional security and cleaning vendors. When you find you need a new or additional vendor, we have found it best to start early in the process and execute early. We have seen businesses wait and then be left with zero options in some cases. Find what you need, implement and you can always make adjustments as you go along.

Handling Customers After Reopening During Coronavirus

Posted on June 12, 2020June 12, 2020 by Keith

One of the more difficult tasks your business will face during COVID-19 will be Handling Customers After Reopening During Coronavirus. Whatever rules, protocols, and guidelines you establish, you will need to find ways to enforce them. You’ll also need to come up with a plan for what you will do if one of your customers refuse.

Establishing The Ground Rules

Lady with Mask

Before you open, you will need to make decisions on what reopening your business will look like. Will you require masks or face coverings for employees? Will you require that your customers wear them as well?

If you’re unsure of what reopening steps you will take for your business you can refer to the post Reopening Your Business After The COVID-19 Shutdown for some general guidance.

First, will you allow customers into your establishment or worksite? If so, will you require them to wear masks or face coverings? Will you require gloves? What about hand sanitization? Will you limit the number of customers into your establishment for social distancing? If a customer shows up without a face covering will you offer them one?

Once you determine the exact ground rules you will have for your business, the first step will be to have them written down, and shared with all of your employees. Everyone working at your establishment should know all the rules you have established. Including the protocols, you set if a customer refuses to follow the rules you set.

While most customers will comply, not all will. The reasons why, will not matter as much as what your response will be should they not follow the rules for entering your establishment.

Inform Your Customers

Whether that is calling or emailing them before they arrive at your establishment, or informing them once they arrive through signage or having an employee inform them upon arrival.

No matter the method you choose to inform your customers, it must be done clearly and without causing confusion.

Employees Set The Tone

Once employees know the rules, and why they are established, they should be comfortable with approaching customers who are not abiding by the rules and asking them to comply. They should be able to convey the message in a neutral manner and tone and explain that the policy is in place for the benefit, health and safety of everyone. Also, make certain all employees are following at least the same rules to set an example for customers.

If it is over the customer not having a mask or face covering, offer them one.

If they refuse

What if they refuse to comply with your rules? You’ll have to decide if you will service them and ask them not to return, or ask them to leave, or refuse service completely.

Some businesses that have been able to establish remote video or tele-based services have asked their customers to use only those services, while others have opted to kick customers out of their establishments.

If you can have them leave without causing escalation that is fine, but you will also have to consider the situation if the customer refuses to leave and it escalates beyond calm discussions. In many cases it may be best to service the customer but remind them, next time, please bring and wear a mask, thank you.

In some cases, other customers have gotten involved and threatened other customers for not following the guidelines set by your establishment.

Reopening Your Business After the COVID-19 Shutdown

Posted on June 10, 2020June 10, 2020 by Keith

Educate Your Team

There are a number of considerations and requirements you need to implement when Reopening Your Business After the COVID-19 Shutdown. First and foremost you need to educate yourself, your management team, and employees of current Federal, State, County, and potentially City, as well as industry-specific guidelines that need to be met before you’re ready to reopen.

We recommend you get started with the CDC guidelines on reopening, and sign up for updates or check back frequently as guidance has, and may change in the future. Next, review your State and Industry-specific guidelines. After this look up your local Office of Emergency Management and local Department of Health for their requirements.

One important thing to know about the guidelines is that they will work from the bottom up. Meaning that, if you find guidance that is more strict or locked-down at your local level, you will need to follow your local guidance for reopening.

A great resource for Industry-Specific guidance is Back to Work Safely. However, look to other sites within your industry and local associations as well.

If you have multiple locations, you’ll have to check the local requirements for each location. Don’t assume they all have the same guidance. As one example for a client we worked with, one county required the business to utilize their county-specific documents to be placed at entrances where other counties suggest making your own signage. Always check.

We also recommend creating an internal Task-Force responsible for overseeing your COVID-19 response if you have enough employees to do so. Have them set up a daily meeting and block off their calendars for this time.

Finally, decide how you will educate employees, clients, and vendors on the changes you’re implementing.

Adjust Your Business

If your business was one of the lucky few to remain open, consider how you will make adjustments to continue operating the way you currently operating or if you should completely change to another new way of providing for your customers. For instance, did you implement a curbside pickup only? Did you incorporate new products or services? Do you continue with web-based or telephone appointments? Continue working remotely? We recommend taking a customer poll and see how they feel.

If you are just reopening, there are many more things to consider. Will you reopen all at once or in stages? Do you need to adjust your operating hours? How will you limit customers? How will you space employees? Will you require masks and/or gloves?

Consider how and who will clean and how will you provide time for cleaning. Do you hire a service? Have employees do the cleaning or both?

Do you have enough supplies and equipment to reopen? Can your vendors support your needs? Are your vendors only able to provide limited service? Do you have additional vendors in place?

Staffing needs

How much of your staff will you need to reopen? All of them or reduced staffing? Do you have different staffing levels and requirements for each stage? Do you allow employees currently working remotely to continue working remotely? If you do, for how long?

Review and understand COVID-19 related employment laws and how they will impact your business and staff. For example, if an employee gets sick will you continue to pay the employee while recovering and under quarantine? When do you allow someone who is sick to return to work? Someone who tests positive for COVID-19 is protected under ADA laws.

What about employees that have not been sick but are high-risk or at-risk. What about employees that have at-risk people living with them? What about child care? Reach out to your employees to discuss their needs and your plans. Who will need special accommodations?

cleaning the worksite

Create a policy and procedures for cleaning and disinfecting workspaces, especially high-touch points and surfaces, shared tools, and items. Educate your employees on cleaning their own space and shared items.

Provide soap, tissue, paper towels, trash cans, and hand sanitizer throughout the worksite. Allow employees more time to take hand-washing breaks and other additional break time. Educate employees to wash hands for at least 20 seconds. Make sure you are utilizing EPA approved disinfectants at your worksite.

If you will be using a cleaning or disinfecting service decide before you open the following:

How often will they be cleaning your worksite? Continuously? Twice per day?
When and how will you do deep cleaning and disinfecting? When someone tests positive? Everyday?
How much does the cleaning disrupt your business? Can you stagger shifts? Clean before or after hours?
What disinfectants will you use?
Do you need to shut down before deep cleaning?
Can employees be in the building during a deep cleaning?
Do you source multiple vendors to do the cleaning?

Place signage at all entrances and throughout the worksite about workplace Social Distancing requirements, Sanitizing requirements (such as before entering the site), COVID-19 symptoms, hand-washing hygiene, and coughing hygiene.

Will you provide masks or face-covering and/or gloves or have employees bring their own? What if an employee forgets their mask or gloves?

Secure multiple sources for a regular supply of cleaners, disinfectants, and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

social distancing

Implement social distancing policies at the worksite to keep employees and customers at least 6 feet apart. In the office install acrylic barriers and utilize cubicle walls to limit contact. Move seating to keep employees at least 6 feet apart.

Do away with shared workspaces where possible. If they can’t be eliminated, provide disinfecting wipes, hand-sanitizer at each shared workspace.

Avoid all in-person meetings, even at the worksite. Use video or teleconferencing technology to facilitate meetings with employees, clients, vendors, and other stakeholders.

Continue or implement remote and work-from-home (WFH) policies. Ensure employees have the right equipment and any equipment they need to work securely from home.

Limit, reduce, or avoid altogether employee travel. This includes having employees traveling to other offices or other internal business sites.

If customers, vendors, or visitors come to your site require PPE. Have them bring their own, or provide them once on site. If possible reduce, limit, or avoid visitors onsite.

Develop a plan and policy on how to deal with customers, visitors, and even employees that refuse to follow your health and safety guidelines.

Consider hiring or increasing security staffing for your worksite.

health screening

Educate employees about COVID-19 Symptoms and the need to stay home when sick. Consider new sick leave policies for all employees.

Develop a policy and protocols for employee health screening of all employees coming onto the worksite. You can implement some or all of the following:

Temperature checks of all employees (and anyone else) when entering the worksite. (Utilize thermal scanners, no-touch or touch thermometers)
Who checks the employee temperatures? Do they do it themselves?
Do you track temperatures? (We recommend not documenting any temperature readings or you will have to comply with HIPAA)
How often will you require temperature checks? (We recommend once daily – the first time someone is entering the worksite).
What is the actual procedure you will have if/when someone has a temperature (100.4°F or above).
Have that procedure written and inform all employees of the procedure.
When can that person return to work?
What if someone refuses a temperature check?
What if someone begins to feel ill while at work?
How do you inform employees?
How will you perform contact tracing?
Who performs contact tracing?
Who notifies the County Health Department or Emergency Management Office?
Work with HR and Legal to create policies prior to implementing
Develop policies if someone calls out sick and when they can return to work?
What is the policy if someone gets tested for COVID-19?
When or will you have to shut down for disinfection cleaning?
Do you have a hot-line for employees to call in?
Do you need to make COVID-19 adjustments to that call in line?

Any policies you create, be prepared to face situations you did not expect. Have your internal Task Force ready to discuss options, policy changes, and for each instance to be handled uniquely given the situation.

assess your finances

Prior to reopening, assess your current business finances. Create a Cash Flow Forcast with three scenarios, a realistic cash flow model, an optimistic cash flow model, and a pessimistic cash flow model. Adjust each daily/weekly as needed.

Find ways to reduce and cut expenses immediately. Call all your vendors and see if they can temporarily adjust pricing for you. Can you find new or backup vendors at reduced pricing?

Find ways to add new revenue streams. Can you offer a new product or service during this time? Can you partner with someone to increase your market and visibility?

If you haven’t in the past, use Social Media to get your message out. Go live to discuss your product or services.

Estimate new and increase costs for retrofitting your worksite, costs for deep cleaning, ongoing sanitization costs, etc. Document all expenses and actions you are taking during this time for your business.

Stay updated and informed on any and all financial assistance that is available to you and your business.

Contact all the people and businesses you do business with or pay, see if they can adjust their pricing or try to renegotiate your contract even if it is short-term.

Contact your insurance agent about what you are covered for and not covered for in protecting against lawsuits from customers and/or employees after reopening.

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