As more workplaces return to the office after working from home, understanding what tasks are part of your daily checklist is more important than ever. To meet government guidelines and reduce the likelihood of staff members taking sick leave due to Covid-19, use our office managers duties checklist for maintaining optimal health and safety within the office.
The Ultimate Office Manager Checklist Template
Our office manager checklist template shows you the tasks and responsibilities you need to complete for ultimate office safety and smooth business operation. Follow the below steps to ensure employees can work safely and efficiently while in the office.
1. Ensure Social Distancing Measures Are Being Followed
Your office needs to be flexible when handling Covid-19. As the virus is still around, it’s essential that social distancing measures are implemented and being followed. Keep a notable distance between employees (social distancing was initially set at 2 metres before being reduced to 1 metre). You may wish to implement clear screens between each desk. Additionally, ensure employees have staggered break times to avoid crowding in dining areas.
2. Provide Personal Protective Equipment Where Possible
Personal protective equipment can include disposable gloves, masks and hand sanitiser. Make sure these are well stocked and any low supplies are ordered to continually keep all staff members safe. All high traffic areas where there are high touch surfaces, such as lifts, reception area, doorways and corridors should have hand sanitiser in place.
3. Check Current Health and Safety Guidelines
Health and safety guidelines are constantly changing to reflect the current Covid-19 situation. It’s a good idea to check the government website daily to ensure your office is following the latest procedures. This also ensures that you have an effective safety plan in place for your workplace.
4. Reassess Current Health and Safety Procedures
Reassess your current health and safety procedures to check that they’re working effectively. If someone within your office tests positive for Covid-19, you’ll need to have a plan of action, such as cleaning and disinfection, as there is a risk that other members could become unwell.
5. Check All Touchless Technology is Implemented and Working
Ideally, everyone in your workplace should have access to touchless technology where possible. This reduces the number of high-touch points within your building. Touchless technology can include attending meetings via video calling, using a Bluetooth reader to get into your office or using QR codes.
6. Check Work Schedules
Having different work schedules for different employees reduces the number of staff within the office space at one time. You may need to organise schedules on a weekly or monthly basis to determine who is returning to the office and who is working remotely. You’ll also need to be flexible with scheduling to cover for any employees who need to take sick leave.
7. Educate Returning Staff Members on Health Protocols
Staff who are returning to the office will need to understand what your latest health protocols are. This ensures that your health and safety guidelines are being met on a daily basis. You should inform employees on what to do if they come into contact with someone who is ill, as well as showing them how to limit physical contact with each other within the office.
8. Sort Out Sick Leave for Those Who Are Unwell
If any staff members you are responsible for have to take time off work with Covid-19, you’ll need to implement your sick leave policy. You’ll also need to shift their workload to another staff member to ensure that all-important tasks are completed, and impending deadlines are met.
9. Check Temperatures
You may decide to implement temperature checking within your office. While this does not necessarily determine who is unwell, it can be an effective measure for protecting the wellness of all staff. You may wish to implement this as a daily measure first thing in the morning so that anyone who has a temperature is sent home immediately.
10. Schedule Daily Cleaning
Daily cleaning is essential to eliminate germs and bacteria. In particular, light switches, door handles, rails, computer keyboards and bathrooms need disinfecting every day. Deep cleaning should be increased, especially before staff are due back in the office. If someone tests positive for Covid-19, a deep clean and sanitisation of all areas will be required.
11. Ensure Areas Are Well Ventilated
Excellent ventilation is one way to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading. To make your office well ventilated, open all windows so that fresh air can circulate around your work environment. You may also want to use fans to enhance indoor circulation too.
12. Analyse Your Risk Assessment
Before employees return to work, it’s a good idea to conduct a risk assessment. This document should acknowledge potential areas that could contribute to Covid-19 transmission. For example, you should note areas where employees come into contact with others, such as waiting areas, staff rooms and exits. As more staff members come back into the office, your risk assessment may need to be updated. Furthermore, you must contemplate the use of contractors in your assessment. You may need to contact them to arrange different working hours so that fewer people come into contact with each other.
13. Make Sure Posters and Signs Are Up To Date
Signposts help employees to remember current health and safety rules. You may have decided to implement tape marks to remind staff of social distancing, posters regarding the washing of hands or signs telling employees to stay at home if they develop symptoms. Additionally, consider placing signs that instruct visitors of your guidelines. This is fundamental to the continuous running of the business. If your staff all become sick, the workplace will have to close. Ensure all signposts are up-to-date and placed in visible areas.
14. Update Employees with Health & Safety Training
Employees that have already returned to the office should be kept updated with health and safety training. This could be something as simple as sending group emails or producing booklets for each employee to read. Remember to consider information on infection symptoms, how to get tested, face coverings and handwashing practices, as well as how they can minimise risks within the local community.
15. Update Employees with Workplace Policies
Staff should have access to workplace policies on what they should do if they get sick. They should be aware of who to notify, sick pay policies and what to do if a close family member becomes unwell.
16. Reviewing Staff Vaccine Strategy
As vaccines are rolling out, it’s important to continually assess your staff vaccine strategy. Your strategy may involve asking staff members about their vaccinated status, communicating with staff members regarding the vaccine or introducing a voluntary policy on vaccine procedures. You could also survey employees on any health vulnerabilities they may have. For instance, some employees may benefit from remote working for a longer than planned period of time. By reviewing this information regularly, you’ll be able to update or introduce health and safety procedures within your workplace.
17. Scheduling Remote Meetings
Remote meetings prevent the need for business travel, particularly to other parts of the world where you may not be familiar with their Covid-19 procedures. Both internal and external meetings could be via Zoom. When scheduling meetings, remember to take into consideration time zone differences.
18. Review and Define Visitor Protocols
If visitors are essential to your business or you’re starting to welcome them back to the company, defining and reviewing your protocols is fundamental. Consider how visitors will be directed throughout the building, social distancing measures for guests, access to sanitation stations and contactless entry into your building.
19. Review Technology for Remote Staff
Review technology for remote workers to determine if any upgrades can be made. Assess technology by asking remote employees for their thoughts and acknowledge any requests that have been made. Contemplate any long-term savings by using work from home staff members rather than keeping them in the office.
20. Complete Paperwork for New Hires
Complete all paperwork for new employees or those who have been laid off and rehired. Consider how rehired staff will be brought back into the office. They may not need to complete the same process as employees who are new to the business, but you may decide to put some formalities into action.
21. Update Any Additional Company Policies
All policies should remain valid and up to date, including paid leave, working from home, time-off procedures, attendance, travel policies and the use of information technology. Once all policies have been updated, inform all members of staff.
22. Assess Business Continuity Plans
Assess and revise business continuity plans in the event of an impending emergency. Update all contact information, identify potential disruptions to the business, monitor data on external protocols and review your plan of action on what will happen if staff cannot come into work. Your business continuity plan aims to minimise disruption to the business so planning for eventualities is important.
23. Review Staff Responsible for Daily Tasks
Review staff members responsible for certain areas, such as designating stationary to other employees, cleaning meal facilities after breaks, wiping down high touch areas during the working day and refilling printer paper. This limits the number of people that need to touch specific surfaces and ensures essential tasks are completed.
24. Ensure Equipment Has Been Returned
Check that employees coming back into the office have returned any loaned office equipment, such as laptops, accessories, cables and headsets. Update inventory lists and account for any missing items. Make sure items have been sanitised if they are going to be used by other members of staff.
Use Our Office Manager Checklist to Help Employees Stay Safe In The Workplace
Our office manager daily checklist is ideal to help you ensure workplace safety when employees are returning to the office. Just remember to continually undertake your list of duties to keep the office organised and everyone in your work environment safe.
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