Before reopening, you should sanitize your place of business to limit the spread of germs to your employees and customers. Keep this process limited to as few people as possible.

Communication during this time is incredibly important. As you prepare to reopen, share information with your employees about your plans to implement cleaning and safety protocols.

Remain available to and transparent with your employees. Have conversations with them about their concerns. Some employees may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions. Your team’s health is of the utmost importance, so loop employees in on your reopening strategy.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or infection and prevent the spread of possible infection from the wearer to others. PPE used to help prevent the spread of coronavirus may include masks, face shields, gowns and gloves. Businesses should strive to keep a minimum quantity of a 15-day supply of appropriate PPE on hand.

The State of Michigan and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce have resources to assist Michigan businesses in procuring the PPE needed to reopen their facilities. Learn more.

PLEASE NOTE: Gloves put employees at higher risk of exposure and are not recommended for general protective use for the following reasons:

• The COVID-19 virus does not harm your hands, so gloves provide no protection, and touching your face with contaminated hands, whether gloved or not, poses a significant risk of infection.
• Gloves often create a false sense of security for the individuals wearing them. People are more likely to touch contaminated surfaces because they feel the gloves protect them from the virus, when they do not.
• When wearing gloves, people are less inclined to wash their hands; this is counterproductive and puts others at higher risk. We want people to wash their hands because it is the number-one defense against any virus.
• Proper removal of gloves takes training. If contaminated gloves are not removed properly, employees are exposed to higher risk.

You will find up-to-date resources and information on the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional information is being continually posted to our social media channels.

Do not allow the employee to come to work. Or send home immediately if indicated per the following screening:

When businesses, recreational activities, or social events resume during the COVID-19 pandemic, companies, and operators must have guidance on how to do so as safely as possible. The placement (or lifting) of social distancing interventions are one of the only tools public health practitioners have to prevent death and disability from COVID-19, until a vaccine or effective treatment is developed.

COVID-19 is an insidious virus – and public health responses must attempt to prevent extensive asymptomatic spread, unlike any previous pandemic virus. While widespread testing and swift isolation and quarantine of those infected or exposed are essential, due to resource constraints, they are not as useful right now as the significant social distancing imposed by the Governor’s Executive Order.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has developed industry specific workgroups to evaluate and provide guidelines for a safe reopen. The guidelines are designed for employers of all sizes to implement directives issued by the state in returning safely to in-person work. We strongly recommend that before implementing any of the resources that you carefully evaluate, and consult with outside legal counsel as appropriate, the legality, applicability and potential efficacy of this information in your place of business. Please also note that these documents may be updated as new guidelines become available.