Executive Order 20-48
Govenor Tim Walz recently signed Executive Order 20-48, which allows workers in “non-customer facing” industrial and office settings to return to work. The Order also allows “customer-facing” retail businesses to sell their goods through curbside or outside pick-up and delivery. However, workers in critical sectors and non-critical exempt businesses must continue to work from home if possible. Among other things, the Order requires employers who are re-opening their businesses to develop and implement a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry provides a checklist for the plan.

Curbside Pickup and Delivery
According to the Order, retail businesses include retail stores and other businesses that “sell, rent, maintain and repair goods that can be picked up outside, without entering the place of business, with limited interaction between employees and customers…” Other businesses that can provide curbside pickup and delivery include: businesses providing household goods rental services, maintenance services, repair services, and pet grooming services as long as they can adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Developemtn (DEED). Salons and barbershops may also provide curbside pickup and delivery for retail product sales, excluding sales of service chemicals not intended for retail.

Industrial and Manufacturing
Industrial and manufacturing includes industrial or manufacturing businesses, to the extent that such businesses’ employees are not exempt Critical Sector workers under paragraph 6 of the Order, including wholesale trade, warehousing, and places of employment in which goods are in the process of being created.

Office
Office means office based businesses where workers do their work within an office space, at their desk, and their work is primarily not customer facing, to the extent that their employees are not exempt Critical Sector workers under paragraph 6 of the Order.

Below are some examples of what you can do (see DEED’s website)
1. Customers may pick up purchases made in advance online or via telephone and paid electronically at the time of order, when possible.
2. Maintain social distancing of workers inside the store facilitating outdoor pick-up.
3. Customers should remain in the vehicle, and items should be deposited in the trunk, when possible.
4. Provide contactless delivery at the customer’s home or business, if eligible.
5. Interact with co-workers while maintaining appropriate social distancing.
6. Conduct virtual meetings with co-workers, customers and suppliers.
7. Work at workstations as long as there is adequate space between workers.
8. Follow the business’s plan for social distancing.

Below are some examples of what you cannot do (see DEED’s website)
1. Allow customers into retail stores or the business premises.
2. Customers paying at the point of sale is discouraged, but allowed if other options do not exist.
3. Deliver into customers’ homes or business.
4. Conduct customer visits in customer workplaces or homes.
5. Invite customers into the workplace.
6. Conduct meetings in conference rooms that don’t allow social distancing.
7. Work right next to co-workers.

Critical Workers/Sectors
The Order makes no changes to the definitions of Critical Workers/Sectors from Executive Order 20-33.

Minnesota Symptom Screener (Free Online Tool)
The MN Symptom Screener is a free online digital tool designed for businesses and organizations to screen employees and other people entering their facilities for COVID-19 symptoms by using a few simple questions and recording an optional daily temperature check.

As stated by the MN Safety Council, “each company or organization owns its own data – they are not required to share it with the state of Minnesota or with anyone else … Administrators are advised that there is a 10-day data retention period before the data is deleted. However, administrators are able to download the data if they want to retain the information for a longer period of time.” For more information regarding the benefits of the symptom screener, please click here.

We are happy to answer any questions you have regarding re-opening of your business. Please contact us here.