ONEIDA COUNT Y

County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr.

Re -Ope ning
ToolK it

The goal of any reopening plan is to provide a safe workplace for
your employees and customers as everyone comes back online. The
following toolkit can be replicated in all reopening plans, but they
are only a guidelines and in some cases, they are a starting point in
developing your own reopening plan. Any list outlined below could be
expanded upon to help in the drafting and execution of your reopening.
The toolkit will contain tips and recommendations that could help draft
a re-opening plan. It will also contain links to informational resources
and downloadable graphics (like signs, handouts, etc.)

 Establish an On-site Coordinator

This person(s) could do any of the following: help draft a plan, maintain the plan and keep the plan
up to date on policy changes.

How you can select a Site Coordinator
1.  A site coordinator is someone who is responsible, familiar with CDC, State and Local reopening
guidelines;
2.  This person should be familiar with your organization’s reopening protocols;
3.  Ideally this person or people should be a supervisor who has authority to send employees
home who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms outlined by the CDC;
4.  Someone who is always on-site to answer questions and make decisions in relation to health
safety and welfare of employees and the public;
5.  If possible establish an Assistant Site Coordinator in the event the Site Coordinator is
unavailable;
6.  Some workplaces may need to identify an on-site coordinator for every shift;
7.  Be sure to consider any other necessary skills or job position necessary in the selection of a
site coordinator(s) for your business/facility.

Note their Contact Info!
1.  It is recommended that contact information for all individuals identified as the on-site
coordinator be included in the plan. This person could be the owner, CEO, manager, human
resource person, a trusted employee etc.
2.  How contact information could be formatted for each On-site Coordinator:
 
•  Name
•  Title
•  Address
•  Phone Number (Best phone number this person could be reached at

How to Format the Plan
Outline in the plan what is required of all On-site Coordinators. Bulleted lists are an effective way
to communicate the requirements. How contact information could be formatted for each On-site
Coordinator:
 

2

 Assess Essential Functions
It may be necessary to change your business practices to maintain critical operations (e.g.,
identify alternative suppliers, prioritize existing customers, or temporarily suspend some of your
operations if needed). When writing your plan consider the following as a start to your review of
essential functions:

How to Format the Plan
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 

A list of your essential functions on-site;
A list of what functions could be carried out remotely through telecommuting;
Identify what operations could be suspended if necessary;
Include any other information that will help your business carry out essential functions.

ID Alternate Supply Chains
1.  A list of necessary supplies;
2.  Note who supplies them, and then list out an
alternative supplier where possible;
3.  Note anything other pertinent information in
relation to your supply chain management

Also, Consider...
1.  Speak with your suppliers about their sick
policies;
2.  Share with your suppliers your response
plans;
3.  When in doubt ask and share. Talk with
industry leader and local government
about your plans. Share your success and
barriers.

Assess Your Personnel Policies
Assess your personnel and the policies you have in place. This could mean reviewing human
resource policies, sick leave, staffing levels and telecommuting. Some steps when writing your
plan could be:

Figure Out Who
1.  List who is essential on-site and their job function;
2.  List who could work remotely and their job function;
3.  List who may need to be furloughed or laid off in the
event certain operations need to be suspended during
a stay at home order.

3

 Reviewing Policies
When writing out any policy updates in the plan. It is recommended to consider the following
Human resource policies. It is important to follow the Department of Labor recommendations
found here and the Equal Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) recommendations found here. In
conjunction with those resources it is also recommended to consider the following:

Policy Area Ideas

Social Distancing

Wash Hands

Wear Cloth Masks

Avoiding touching
eyes, nose, and
mouth

Clean and Disinfect
frequently touched
surfaces

Implementing
flexible worksites
(e.g., telework)

7:15

More on Teleworking

8:45

Check out the safety
checklist from U.S.
Office of Personnel
Management
for
safety guidelines to
consider here.

7:30
7:45
8:00
8:15
8:30

Implementing flexible
work hours (e.g.,
staggered shifts)

Increasing physical
space between
employees at the
worksite

4

 Increasing physical
space between
employees and
customers (e.g.,
drive through,
partitions)

Implementing
flexible meeting
and travel options
(e.g., postpone nonessential meetings
or events)

Downsizing
operations

Delivering services
remotely (e.g.
phone, video, or
web)

Delivering products
through curbside
pick-up or delivery

Discourage
workers from using
other co-workers
equipment or
desks.

Note

Advise employees
before traveling
to take additional
preparations.

Consider writing
other policies that
may be necessary
to ensure the health
safety and wellbeing
of your staff

R e m e m b e r
all
options
outlined here are
recommendations.
Not all will apply to
you business.

5

 Tools on How to Create or Update Policies
Writing Social Distancing Guidelines
Establish and write in your plan social distancing guidelines for employees and customers/clients
based on CDC recommendations found here. You can select, or use the considerations listed
above, including any other CDC or EEOC recommendations and write them out in a bulleted list.
Then provide more in depth explanations of your policies where necessary.

Absenteeism
Write out how you will operate if absenteeism spikes from increases in sick employees, those
who stay home to care for sick family members, and those who must stay home to watch their
children if dismissed from childcare programs and K-12 schools.
1.  Write out a plan monitor and respond to absenteeism at the
workplace. This policy could be done through health assessment
forms found here.
2.  Note that the listed essential business functions will still be
maintained, and how it will be maintained when an essential
worker is out.
3.  List out necessary employees and their job functions. Write out
what employees could be cross-trained to perform essential
functions so the workplace can operate even if key employees are
absent.

Leave
Implement leave and supportive policies and practices and write them into your plan. When
developing this consider and incorporate the following in your plan.

Flexible Sick Leave
Ensure that sick leave
policies are flexible and
consistent with public
health guidance and that
employees are aware of
and understand these
policies. Consider a leave
donation policy.

Follow Public Health
Ensure that sick leave
policies are flexible and
consistent with public
health guidance and that
employees are aware of
and understand these
policies.

Caring for Others
Maintain flexible policies
that permit employees
to stay home to care for
a sick family member or
take care of children due
to school and childcare
closures.

No Validation Required
Employers
should
not require a positive
COVID-19 test result or a
healthcare provider’s note
for employees who are
sick to validate their illness,
qualify for sick leave, or to
return to work.

Non-Punitive Leave
Employers that do not
currently offer sick leave
to some or all of their
employees may want
to draft non-punitive
“emergency sick leave”
policies.

Connect to Resources
Connect employees to
employee
assistance
program (EAP) resources
(if available) and community
resources as needed.

6

 Pre-screen Employees
Write a policy in your plan that pre-screens employees and separate employees that are ill. This
policy in your plan is recommended to include:
1.  Employers should measure the employee’s temperature and
assess symptoms prior to them starting work. Ideally, temperature
checks should happen before the individual enters the facility.
2.  Employees who have symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of
breath) should notify their supervisor and stay home.
3.  Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps.
Employees should not return to work until the criteria to discontinue
home isolation are met, in consultation with healthcare providers
and state and local health departments.
4.  Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at
home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and follow
CDC recommended precautions.
5.  A resource for a prescreening form can be found here.

Telecommuting (Working from Home)
It is recommended to develop a telecommuting e commerce plan for your business. Please
consider the following while writing this portion of the plan:
1.  Inform employees to follow normal preventive actions while at
work and home, including cleaning hands and avoiding touching
eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. It may be necessary
to write additional key times to clean hands include:
2.  After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing.
3.  After using the restroom.
4.  Before eating or preparing food.
5.  After contact with animals or pets.
6.  Before and after providing routine care for another person who
needs assistance such as a child.

7

 Facility Assessment
Develop a list of services and tasks to ensure your business/organization is ready for opening.
List all your services that were turned off or discontinued during COVID-19. Identify what needs
to be continued. Some items when develop the outline in your plan are:
1.  Task: Contact servicer to
resume services
2.  Task Run water through all pipes
for several minutes to check for
leaks and remove stagnant

1.  Task: Contact servicer to
resume services.
2.  Task: Assess potential damage
due to pests.
3.  Task: Contact an electrician.
Electrical

Water
1.  Task: Contact servicer to
resume services.
2.  Task: Develop vendor protocols
to minimize transmission risk.

Trash
Collection

Internet
1.  Task: Contact servicer to
resume services
2.  Task: Develop vendor protocols
to minimize transmission risk.

Laundry
Services

1.  Task: Contact servicer to
resume services
2.  Task: Assess potential damage
due to pests.
3.  Task: check to ensure network
has the capacity to handle an
increase or implementation of
telecommuting
1.  i.  Task: Contact servicer to
resume services
Task:
Develop
vendor
2.  ii. 
protocols
to
minimize
transmission risk.

Janitorial
Services

Establish Protocols
Develop and write in your plan vendor protocols for any services that require in person engagement.
A helpful format is a bulleted list, but it is not limited to that style.
1.  Including a requirement in the plan that requests health and travel
assessments for vendors/contractors coming on-site. A helpful
example can be found here.
2.  Include in the plan how vendors will be notified. Signage, e-mails,
phone calls etc.
3.  Separate contractors and vendors from the workforce (have them
use separate bathrooms, entrances if possible).
4.  Prohibit nonessential vendors and deliveries from entering facility.
Create curbside delivery measures where possible.
5.  Require deliveries to be dropped outside facility door, eliminating
vendors from entering facility

8

 Special Protocols for Specific Vendors
There may be certain circumstances where your general protocols are not going to provide
adequate protections to the health safety and welfare of your employees and customers. You
may need to develop specific protocols for some vendors. You may want to create a section of
your plan that makes note of who these vendors are, and what their protocols may be. Here are
some items to consider:
1.  Write a list of vendors that require more specific protocols.
2.  Write out the additional precautions in the plan.
3.  Depending on the vendor additional PPE and sanitization may be
necessary. An example of an additional precaution could be:

1. “Laundry Services, in addition to the general vendor
protocols, we require additionally that laundry services
personnel, must wear faces masks and gloves at all times
during delivery and pick-up of items.”
Facility Assessment Checklist
Some facilities during the shutdown, may have been left vacant. It may be important to create a
facility assessment checklist to help prevent stoppages to activity in the future. You may want to
consider the following:

1.  Pest activity – check for pest droppings or physical damage to
facility;
2.  Mold growth due to changes in humidity and HVAC
3.  Structural problems – broken windows, ripped screens, cracked
tiles, plumbing;
4.  leaks;
5.  Test the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
6.  Check the HVAC system and put in a new filter;
7.  Thoroughly clean all surfaces and equipment that has not been
used. See CDC cleaning guidelines;
8.  Any other items specific to your facility and operations.

9

 Sanitization
The extent and manner to which you may execute your sanitization protocols may change. It will
be helpful to review the following surfaces necessary to carryout your functions. This can be done
in an outline, checklist format. Though some may not apply, you may also want to include other
items not appearing in the list following:

Tables

Doorknobs

Light Switches

Counter tops

Handles

Desks

Phones

Keyboards

Toilets

Faucets and Sinks

Gas Pump
Handles

Touch Screes &
ATMS

Keep or Not to Keep? Dealing with Soft Porous Surfaces
Consider removing soft porous surfaces like rugs, tapestries, and soft porous seating
areas. Replacing with hard (non-porous) surfaces may be necessary. Soft surfaces
may be harder to sanitize, so this step is worth considering. You could create a bulleted
list your plan that outlines: necessary surfaces, un-necessary surfaces, and what can
be swapped out with a hard non-porous surface. For example: a fabric chair with a
plastic or other non-porous hard surface that is easier to clean.
10

 Sanitization Protocols Checklist
A clearly organized list of what needs to be sanitized and how it is sanitized will add clarity to you
plan, and ultimately your staff when implementing new or expanded sanitizing protocols. You
can follow these recommendations in order, out of order, in part, or create your own organization
method based on your business’ priorities. The CDC created a helpful flowchart here. Here are
some additional recommendations:

Inside or Outside
Organize it into what
needs to be cleaned by
surfaces located “Inside”
and “Outside”.

Surface Type

How to Disinfect

Sort what needs to be
cleaned by surface type.
It is best to follow CDC
recommendations found
here.

Hard
(non-porous)
Surfaces
(tables, plastic chairs, counters,
stools,
tools).
Follow
CDC
recommendations here & EPA
supply recommendations here.
Hard Surfaces

Electronics

Write an electronics cleaning
process. This includes but is not
limited to tablets, touch screens,
keyboards,
remote
controls,
and ATM machines.
CDC
recommendations can be found
here.  

Summarize
Equipment

PPE
Include Product ID and Quantity
1.  Gloves
2.  Masks
3.  Gowns
4.  Coveralls
5.  Other necessary PPE items

Write out what to how
you want the different
types of surfaces to be
disinfected.

Soft Surfaces

Soft (Porous) Surfaces (fabric
couches, drapes, rugs, etc). Follow
manufacturer labels. Write out a list
of   cleaners you would like
used. Here are recommendation
from the EPA.

Linens

Linens, Clothing, and other Items
that go in the Laundry. This should
apply to vendors and employees.
Follow manufacturer labels, do not
shake items. Follow CDC guidance
here noting these processes in your
plan. 

Sanitizing
Include Product ID and Quantity
1.  Hand Sanitizer
2.  Surface Sanitizer (Soap,
approved products)
3.  Bleach
4.  Other sanitizing products

EPA

11

 Develop a communication
Communication to employees, vendors and customers are critical to any successfully executed
plan. This would require a clearly thought out plan that will help everyone carry out the appropriate
policies and protocols set in place. When outlining and writing out this section, it is helpful to
consider the following:
1.  Provide internal signage to alert co-workers to use another means
to contact the person (phone, email, text);
2.  Post signs on door to instruct customers/ visitors on business’s
safety protocols;
3.  Provide remote workers with a list of free resources to stay healthy
and active at home (i.e. ergonomic tips, stress-relief tools, fitness
resources);
4.  Provide pre-recorded safety training videos for customer-facing
activities;
5.  Maintain an up-to-date repository on the company’s shared
network that allows employees to access all COVID-19 documents,
resources, and company protocol;
6.  Training seminars and webinars;
7.  Any other communication mechanism that helps update your
employees.

Downloadable Resource
Click the icons below for downloadable content.

Face coverings

Safely removing
face coverings

What to do when
you are sick

Stay at home you
are sick

CDC

Read Before
Entering

Centers For Disease
Control and Prevention

Please read
before entering

Hand Washing

Oneida County
Public Health
Order

Other CDC
Printables
12

 Customer Engagement Plan
Using your website, e-mail, social media, TV and newspaper ads to inform the public on your
new policies regarding social distancing and PPE requirements for their business. Some of the
below items are only for consideration and may not require writing in your plan. A helpful format
is a bulleted list or checklist.

Curbside
Pickup

1.  Offer curbside delivery instead
of in store pick up.
2.  It is recommended to follow
OSHA guidelines here. Though
it is for food and beverage.
service it is a helpful checklist
for consideration.

1.  If possible use a loudspeaker
to convey policies to your
customers.
2.  Outline a schedule, and develop
a clear message.
Loud
Speakers

1.  Outline where you want signage
to be located.
2.  Consider high traffic, highly
visible areas. Near doors, on
highly visible signage, etc. 
Locate
Signage

Use
partitions

Locate where floor decals are
possible to help customers gauge
appropriate distancing.

Floor Decals
Configure partitions with a passthrough opening at the bottom of the
barrier in checkout lanes, customer
service desks, and pharmacy and
liquor store counters as a barrier
shield, if possible.

Move
Electronic
Payments

1.  Move the electronic payment
terminal/credit card reader
farther away from the cashier if
possible.
2.  Consider
taking
payments
digitally (PayPal, Venmo, Apple
Pay) or over the phone.
3.  Write in the plan that physical
cash payments are a last resort.

Traffic Flow

1.  Write and plan for the control
the flow of traffic into the
establishment.
2.  Also write if necessary a new
maximum capacity is to be
implemented.

Use every other check-out lane
to aid in distancing if and where
possible.

Every other
Checkout
Shift primary stocking activities
to off-peak or after hours when
possible to reduce contact with
customers.
Adjust
Restocking
Schedule

Sanitary
Items

1.  Provide tissues and no-touch
disposal receptacles for use by
employees and customers.
2.  Provide sanitizing wipes in
public areas for customers and
employees. Locate and write
restock frequency in your plan.
13

  

County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr.
800 Park Avenue - Utica, New York 13501