In speaking to various groups about legal and liability considerations in returning to work and safely reopening their businesses, we put together this Returning to Work Checklist as a resource for businesses considering whether to reopen. The Checklist provides a framework for what the reopening process will look like for their business, and concrete steps a business can take to minimize/mitigate risk.

As we note in the Checklist, a key part of the reopening process is having in place policies and protocols that guide the reopening process. Also important is developing and having in place an Emergency Response Plan to address potential employee infections and workplace flare-ups, as well as documenting and tracking the firm’s reopening activities.

Among other areas of legal expertise, developing and implementing policies, protocols and a response plan for the reopening process draws upon:

- Crisis management

- Emergency response planning

- Liability and risk mitigation

- Supply chain issues and logistics

- Contracts issues

- Employment law

- Environmental law

- Occupational health and safety, and

- Regulatory law

As is clear from our Returning to Work Checklist, making sure you have your bases covered and managing through the COVID-19 reopening process requires an interdisciplinary legal approach to stay ahead of the curve.