iV4 Blog

Plan For Returning To Work After COVID

Written by iV4 Blog | May 18, 2020 5:37:06 PM

Every department plays a role in making the return to work after COVID a smooth and safe transition. With regions across New York State on track to re-open– planning how your organization will go back to the office starts now. 

iV4's checklist and considerations below are from our Return to Work Strategy webinar where we discussed what goes into a plan for returning to work after COVID. Access the slide deck and recording here.

 

Workplace

 

Designate a COVID-19 Return Team

  • Include representatives from each department of your business
  • Determine how the transition back to work will occur

Employee Communication

  • Conduct a survey to understand who feels comfortable returning
  • The steps the organization is taking to provide a safe workplace
  • How employees can help keep the workplace safe
  • Your plan for potential second wave

Office Space

  • Seating arrangements
  • In-office gatherings (birthdays, celebrations)
  • Client interaction and meetings
  • Visitor and guest restrictions
  • Common office areas

Update Company Policies

  • Remote Work
  • PPE: Facial Coverings, Gloves, Hand Sanitizer
  • Reporting of Illnesses
  • Cleanliness Standards and Protocols
  • Interaction and Common Areas

 

 

Technology

 

Measure organizational adoption of new tools and remote work

Train your users in an interactive and engaging way

Perform OS updates on systems and applications that have been idle

Adopt a cloud-smart strategy to enable greater resiliency and continuity

What on-premise services can be virtualized to provide higher levels of resiliency?

Re-assess Remote Desktop Service (RDS) capabilities

Consider Windows Virtual Desktop for applications and systems that run on an unsupported OS, like Windows 7, or can't be migrated to the cloud right now.

 

 

Cybersecurity

 

Cybercriminals are working overtime during COVID. Conduct a refresher Security Awareness Training course so your users can identify fake emails and scams

Update and patch devices re-joining corporate networks

Secure Office 365: Start with Advanced Threat Protection and Multi-Factor Authentication

Make certain backups are secure and protected from ransomware

Determine where your data is now that you have been away

Perform a risk assessment to understand where security gaps exist

 

 

Business Continuity and Compliance

 

What can you take away from this experience that will improve your response in the future?

Did users require additional hardware, licensing, remote access, or bandwidth?

Start re-thinking your controls in a way that allows for remote work

Were your controls written for work life before COVID? Consider a Gap Analysis and update your System Security Plan.

Enforcement will not be delayed for NY SHIELD Act and Education 2-D laws in New York or CCPA in California.

 

 

Second Wave Preparedness

 

Evaluate what did and did not work in your transition to remote work

Were all data center services available or were work-arounds needed?

Did security concern you? How was it addressed? Or not?

Identify the business workflows that were modified for remote work

Are you going back to the old way or is the new process better?

Assess applications that can be moved to the cloud for better remote access and availability

Determine processes and best practices for collaboration tools: Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive

Understand where and when to use cloud storage applications

Implement governance strategy

 

 

iV4 Can Help

 

With regions across New York State on track to re-open– planning for the return to the office post COVID-19 begins now.

iV4 can help your organization:

Refer to CDC, New York Forward Guidelines, and local governments for official guidance on health and safety protocols.

 

On May 13, our COVID Return to Work Strategy webinar covered what it takes to facilitate an orderly return to the office post COVID. Access the slides and watch on-demand here.