Open for Business: A Pandemic Planning Checklist

Pandemic planning checklist for business

Gone are the days of walking into a doctor’s office without having temperature taken or haphazardly browsing the aisles in the grocery store. Instead, businesses across the country are making adjustments to their standard operating procedures, focusing on social distancing and personal hygiene for employee and customer safety during the pandemic.

Why A Business Pandemic Planning Checklist Matters

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the use of face masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing in public spaces have been strongly urged. As businesses, schools and public establishments redefine their standard operating procedures to meet safety and sanitation recommendations set out by top health officials, employees and customers have grown to expect more from the places they work and shop. Ensure your business is a safe place for employees and customers with pandemic planning for business that puts customer and employee safety first.

In order to meet today’s new health and safety standards you’ll need to construct and execute a pandemic planning checklist centered around the health, safety and the prevention of illness for customers and employees alike. Taking precautionary measures towards pandemic preparedness now could be the difference between a thriving business or a failed one.

Pandemic Preparedness Plan For Businesses

In an effort to help businesses promote employee health and safety, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have developed a business pandemic planning checklist businesses can use to outline their own pandemic preparedness plan.If effective, pandemic preparedness plans for businesses can successfully limit the negative impact to both the economy and society during a pandemic.

For Employees and Staff

Employees are the face of your business and a crucial part to its success. This list gives an example of some of the measures your business can take to ensure your employees are well informed and protected during a pandemic.

Take care of staff by allowing for employee absences due to factors like personal or family illness and community containment measures like quarantines and school, business or public transportation closures.
Establish policies and practices around illness prevention. This can be done by decreasing face-to-face contact between co-workers and customers with sneeze guards and social distancing measures. Safely strips and floor signs can help reinforce social distancing.Things like cubicle shields are also good in office situations.
Identify, evaluate and improve accessible healthcare and special needs requirements among your employees as needed.
Establish policies for employee compensation and sick-leave absences tailored to the needs of pandemic-related issues.
Provide accessible sanitation and infection control supplies such as hand sanitizer, soap and hot water, tissues and personal protective equipment to employees.
Discuss with your staff regularly regarding sanitation expectations at work.

For Customers and Clients

As customers and clients return to your business make them aware of new policy changes and expectations when entering your establishment. Wall, window and door signs boldly display social distancing and mask requirements expected inside your establishment. Placing single or double sided hand sanitizer stations in high-traffic areas of your business promotes healthy habits effective against the spread of illness. Sneeze guards at transaction counters and desks provide extra protection between employees and customers. Floor and tabletop signs like one-way arrows guide patrons down the right aisle and help maintain social distancing requirements. Keep clients and customers up to date with all your business is doing to keep them safe through emails, flyers or social media posts.

Protect your business as well as your employees and customers inside with a pandemic preparedness plan. Safely6ft™ has the social distancing and sanitary products you need to successfully prepare your business for reopening.