Illustration of employees working at desks spaced apart

Employers plan to get back to work in the next two months, but it will not be business as usual, according to a survey by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

The survey, released last week, found that 88% of employers had a "return to work" task force in place, but 90% of employers said their reopening would be in phases, involve numerous changes and, if employees could work from home, they most likely would, Thompson said.

"Employers are preparing to go back to work," said Michael Thompson, CEO of the National Alliance. "This idea that we're going to wait for testing and all that to be available, to be testing daily, that's not realistic. Employers are preparing right now to get back to work, but they are very cognizant about the safety of employees. What this gives us is the road map that employers are looking to use as they phase back in."

More than 200 employers, ranging in size from fewer than 500 employees to more than 10,000, responded to the survey, conducted online from April 20 to May 10.

According to the responses, 60% of employers planned to reopen their work site for all employees within the next 60 days. The most popular adjustments when they reopen are mandatory social distancing, cleaning of workspaces, mandatory use of masks and restrictions on meeting sizes, according to the survey. Employers also continue to restrict unnecessary travel while enhancing leave policies and emotional health options. They also are accommodating employees who are older or have health risks or childcare responsibilities, Thompson said.

"Employers are trying to figure out a practical way to phase in a reopening," he said. "It's a period of transition and accommodation but employers are trying to normalize a new normal." Although more than half of employers said they already screen employees daily for COVID-19 symptoms, only 43% said they actually tested for COVID-19, with 24% considering doing so within the next 60 days.

One key takeaway from the survey is that the task forces more often involved individuals from senior leadership, human resources, operations, safety and communications, but only 50% involved a clinical advisor, or someone in the medical field. Instead, more than 90% of employers are looking to federal, state and local guidance from health officials.

"That paints an interesting picture of employers ready, willing and able to start phasing in reentry, but not always do they have a personal clinical advisor," Thompson said. "So, they're relying heavily on outside sources to inform them."

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Social distancing, PPE and cleaning on tap as employers prepare to return to work

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