Anchor Payroll Blog

With various shelter in place restrictions being lifted and companies starting to get back to business, one of the questions we’ve received is: how do we bring furloughed employees back to work?

It is important to plan ahead to ensure their employees can safely return to the office. While we are all hoping things will get back to normal as soon as possible, our return to the workplace will be different from our norm.

Here are our top six tips to help you plan to reopen your office.

Below are answers to a couple of questions you might have about returning to work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can we screen employees returning to work for COVID-19?

Yes. Generally, inquiries about an employee’s health or a medical exam (like a temperature check) would not be allowed, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has stated that screening employees for symptoms of COVID-19 is allowed since it is a direct threat to others in the workplace. Because of that, you may inquire about symptoms related to the virus, require self-reporting by employees, and take employees’ temperatures. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. People have experienced financial hardship, additional challenges with childcare and school cancellations, job loss, reduced hours, sickness, and grief. The future is uncertain, and the present is extra stressful. And to make matters worse, many of the networks and practices that people use to support their mental health are currently unavailable due to social distancing.