Boston Offices Are Reopening Monday: Here's What It'll Look Like

BOSTON — Offices in the city are allowed to open to 25 percent capacity Monday, a week after the rest of the state's offices were allowed to do so. But it won't be business as usual.

Mayor Marty Walsh and Gov. Charlie Baker have both urged employers to continue to allow employees to work from home if possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But for the offices that are welcoming employees back, there will be a strict set of guidelines.

Most notable is the 25 percent capacity limit, which is for the maximum occupancy or a "business or organization's typical occupancy as of March 1, 2020," the state said. Any place that has been operating as an "essential service" has until July 1 to meet the occupancy standards.

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Offices must ensure social distancing, including redesigning workstations and inserting partitions between workers who cannot be more than 6 feet apart. The state suggests employers stagger work schedules and limit meeting sizes to keep any one area from having too many people.

Hallways should be marked as one-ways where possible. There can be no more than four people in an elevator at once. Everyone must wear face coverings in an elevator unless medically unable to.

Sanitization and hygiene efforts must include providing workers with cleaning products, such as disinfecting wipes and sanitizer. High-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and handrails, must be cleaned regularly. There should also be improved ventilation in instances where a door or window can be open.

Cafeteria food must be prepackaged and cafeterias should eliminate self-serve drink and condiment stations.

The employer must have an isolation, contact tracing and communication plan if an employee tests positive for COVID-19. There should be a workplace coordinator for issues related to COVID-19.

You can see all the rules and suggestions from the city here.