Employee Communication Checklist: Returning to In-Person Services
As many stay-at-home orders loosen or begin to expire, businesses are deciding when to bring employees back to work and re-open for in-person services. To ensure the safety of your workforce (and, in turn, others), it’s crucial that employers communicate detailed strategies and protocols to employees in advance and through multiple channels. We’ve compiled an employee communication checklist of actions to take before re-opening office, retail or business locations.
Upfront Business Strategy and Approach to Re-Opening
- Determine phases or scheduling of re-opening
- Identify which employees return first and confirm they’re in good health
- Determine safety protocols for employees and customers during each phase (follow state and federal guidelines)
- Determine if you’ll need more employees for certain processes or procedures
- Ensure you have the safety equipment needed for employees and customers (plan for several weeks of inventory before opening)
- Ensure the current design of your workplace can accommodate the new protocols
Employee Communication and Training
When you’re developing your coronavirus internal communication and training plans, use clear, consistent messaging. In addition, be prepared for quick changes. Have communication templates ready to customize and distribute using your preferred and planned communication channels.
Use Multiple Communication Channels
- Email employees with details of the new processes and procedures
- Hold employee meetings online to review protocols prior to first day back
- Provide in-person training if needed on new procedures
- Set up a workplace digital message board with updates
- Create a contact email address for questions or if employees need to relay that they or someone they’re in contact with is sick (for example: health@company.com)
Communicate Hygiene and Safety Procedures
- The importance of proper hand washing
- How to practice social distancing effectively
- Health and cleaning protocols specific to your workplace
- What to do if they become ill or are in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19
Communicate Company Policies
- Sick leave policies
- Cybersecurity policies
- Workplace health and safety policies
- Working from home protocols
- Travel policies
- Customer interaction procedures and policies, and what to do if a customer is not complying
Employee Tools for Customer Service
Develop scripts, talking points and FAQs to help ensure that employees are never left grasping for words and customers receive a more consistent, cohesive experience.
- Provide talking points or employee scripts for making appointments or calling customers
- Provide talking points or employee scripts for incoming calls
- Develop an employee FAQ for frequent questions
Employee Feedback on Communication, Processes and Procedures
As with any communication strategy, understanding your audience is essential. Be sure you have a process for monitoring employee sentiment to stay on top of hot issues and emerging concerns.
- Ensure employees have a method to communicate safety concerns
- Encourage employees to provide feedback on the customer experience and how to improve processes and procedures
Customer Communication and Feedback that Supports Employees
Support employees on the front lines by providing clear, compassionate and timely messaging to customers on what you’re doing to keep them safe. Provide clear information about changes in policies, hours, turn-around time, etc. In addition, provide mechanisms for customers to provide feedback or ideas on improving the experience in a constructive way that eases the burden on customer-facing employees. See our Checklist for Customer Communication when Re-Opening.
If your business or organization needs support with customer or employee communications, our team is available to help on a temporary or long-term basis. Learn more about Activated Growth’s services.