Featured May 18, 2020 Ready to Return to the Workplace: 25 Prompts for Agency Leaders Back to Blog Helping agency leaders prepare their employees to return to the workplace Date May 21, 2020 | Updated on October 21, 2020 Authors Tags Government Effectiveness As preparations continue for a full return to federal workplaces, agency leaders have a wide range of issues to consider. The Partnership for Public Service worked with experts from across the government to develop a list of 25 issues for consideration to help agency leaders think through their overarching strategies as they prepare and plan for employees to return to their workplaces. The issues fall into five areas: Information and coordination on public health dataFacilitiesCommunication and employee engagementPolicies and programsRisk management and contingency planning Download the guide The questions on public health data prompt leaders to consider local public health conditions, level of contact tracing in their agencies and other issues relevant to their organizations, locations and workplaces. The facilities area covers how cleaning, screening, social and physical distancing, and face coverings can affect employees. The communications and employee engagement section encourages leaders to consider how they can bolster workforce morale, effectively communicate with employees, stakeholders and contractor employees. In the policy and programs section, leaders are prompted to reassess their governance models, telework and travel policies as well as their event and conference guidance. Lastly, the risk management and contingency planning section asks agency leaders to look at their disaster preparedness plans and determine what their agencies will do in the event of a coronavirus resurgence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal employees have remained on duty, either doing their jobs at their workplaces or contributing via telework. Agency leaders can use this guide to help ensure all employees are safe and cared for when they return to work and carry out their missions on behalf of the public. If you have best practices for what your agency is doing to prepare for employees to return to physical work spaces, please share them using this feedback form. For more stories of how agencies are communicating with their employees, check out Stories of Service: How the nation’s space agency is communicating with its workforce during the coronavirus pandemic and Stories of Service: How NGA is communicating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
