Back-to-Work Management Checklist for Employers

Ensure a smooth and safe transition as your team returns to the office with this comprehensive management checklist for handling workplace health and safety during and after an operational disruption.

This guide outlines best practices to help company leadership maintain a secure environment, align with official health guidelines, and manage daily operations effectively.

Essential Office Supplies

• Tissues and no-touch trash bins
• No-touch soap dispensers and hand sanitizers
• Antibacterial hand gels or rubs
• Optional health supports (such as Vitamin C, B6, E) and face masks

Work Preparations & Communication

• Schedule 1-on-1 check-ins with staff members to discuss expectations and priorities for their first week back.
• Instruct staff to contact HR at least two weeks in advance to confirm their return date.
• Establish a clear process to communicate operational updates and emergency response plans with employees and business partners.

Facility Hygiene & Maintenance

• Frequently disinfect high-touch common surfaces, including elevator buttons, shared phones, chargers, door handles, and computer peripherals.
• Ask personnel to regularly sanitize their personal mobile devices and tablets.
• Manage waste frequently and properly.
• Discontinue the use of shared items such as notebooks, pens, clipboards, and cutlery.
• Encourage the use of disposable tableware, including single-use cups, plates, and utensils.
• Avoid using fans, central air conditioning, and heating systems where possible.

Staff Support & Logistics

• Confirm that employees have successfully arranged childcare or daycare providers.
• Ask staff to provide an updated emergency contact list.
• Encourage strict respiratory hygiene, such as covering the mouth and nose with an elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Offer flexible leave solutions for qualifying employees.

Operational Resilience & HR Policies

• Review and update HR policies to ensure consistency with current public health recommendations and workplace laws.
• Stay informed of local government guidelines and health authority updates.
• Prepare comprehensive risk assessments to handle potential staff illness, absences, or quarantines.
• Cross-train staff across essential business functions and update the Business Continuity Plan.
• Limit non-essential work travel, postponing or moving meetings online.
• Implement flexible working solutions, ensuring employees have secure remote IT access and collaboration tools to work from home when necessary.