On May 1, Governor Holcomb issued an executive order setting forth a schedule for a phased reopening of Indiana’s economy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The order requires all employers wishing to continue operations or reopen to implement a safety plan by Monday, May 11. The plan must be publicly posted and provided to each employee.
The purpose of the plan is to ensure a safe environment for both employees and customers. At a minimum, the plan must address the following four points:
- Instituting an employee health screening process
- Employing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols for the workplace, including regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces
- Enhancing the ability of employees, customers, and clients to wash hands or take other personal hygiene measures such as the use of hand sanitizer
- Complying with social distancing requirements established by the CDC, including maintaining six-foot social distancing for both employees and members of the public when possible and/or employing other separation measures such as wearing face coverings or using barriers
With all the focus on the various dates for the reopening of Indiana’s economy, the requirement for a safety plan has received little attention. Employers should be sure to prepare and distribute their plans by the May 11 deadline to avoid any legal headaches as they reopen.
