PLANNING FOR

GPO’S FUTURE

OF WORK

February 26, 2021 Version 2
Table of Contents

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What is GPOSAFE? Return to Work Plan and 

Timing

Step 1: Production & 

Distribution

Step 2: “Production 

Plus”

Step 3: New Operating 

Posture

Steps for Protecting GPO 

Teammates
What is ? GPOSAFE is GPO’s holistic 

approach to working in the 

era of COVID-19 and 

beyond. 

It is a plan for returning to work as 

safely as possible, ramping up 

GPO’s productivity while at the 

same time making the kinds of 

changes necessary to protect 

GPO’s teammates. It also 

recognizes that some changes to 

the way we work will be with us 

long after the immediate danger 

from COVID-19 has passed.

GPOSAFE is intended to address 

the safety of GPO’s team members 

before they even leave home with 

increased telework, flexible 

scheduling, and split shifts to 

reserve production capacity in 

case of infection.

GPOSAFE continues when team 

members come to work, with 

symptom screening at all entrypoints (including temperature 

monitoring), requirements for 

Personal Protective Equipment 

(PPE), and social distancing 

measures in production, office, and 

common areas.

GPOSAFE is designed to work in 

production areas where we 

emphasize social distancing and 

put in place barriers and other PPE 

requirements where distancing is 

suboptimal.

GPOSAFE goes beyond the 

immediate need to return to work. 

GPOSAFE is a concept that GPO will 

rely on well into the future as it 

examines changes to the workplace 

designed to maximize the safety 

and productivity of GPO’s 

workforce.

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Return to Work Plan

Step 1:

Focus on 

Production & 

Distribution

Step 2:

“Production 

Plus”

Gradual 

Increase in 

NonProduction & 

Distribution 

Presence at 

Facilities

Step 3:

New 

Operating 

Posture

Bring the current 

emergency to a close.

Managing Directors 

have flexibility in 

managing teammates 

to achieve results.

Heavy reliance on 

telework at all steps for 

telework-capable 

teammates.

Emphasize safety at each step.

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Step 1

• Focus on 

Production & 

Distribution July 6, 2020

Step 2

• “Production Plus”

Winter 2021

Step 3

• New Operating 

Posture Summer/Fall 

2021

(Environment Allowing)

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Return to Work Plan 

Timing

Timing may differ in some regional facilities 

depending on local conditions.
Return to work 

Step 1: Production & 

Distribution

Step 1 of the return to work 

plan will focus on GPO’s 

production and distribution 

operations.

Entering step 1 will signal the end 

of GPO’s emergency operations 

(and emergency pay) and the 

beginning of the agency’s path to 

its new operating posture.

Step 1 will focus on resuming 

GPO’s regular work in the agency’s 

production and distribution 

divisions, including the work of its 

Security and Intelligent Documents 

(SID) division (passports and 

secure credentials). This means 

GPO’s Plant Operations will be able 

to resume work on less essential 

publications that were put on hold 

at the beginning of the COVID-19 

emergency.

The remaining business units, 

including—

• Programs, Strategy & 

Technology;

• Congressional & Public 

Relations;

• Library Services & Content 

Management;

• Finance;

• EEO;

• General Counsel;

• Human Capital;

• Acquisition Services;

• Information Technology; and,

• Customer Services;

will continue to work remotely via 

telework until the environment 

changes or missions dictate their 

physical presence. GPO’s IT 

department continues to ensure 

employee access to our networks 

remotely is available and secure.

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Return to work 

Step 1: Production & 

Distribution

Production & Distribution 

(Plant, SID, Laurel & Pueblo, 

Facilities, Security)

Other Business Units 

(Customer Services, 

Finance, Admin, PST, 

Human Capital, IT, others)

Staffing • Shifts remain at 1⁄2

strength to provide 

redundancy.

• Teams alternate weekly.

• Staggered shift starts, 

lunches, and break times 

to maximize social 

distancing.

• Primarily telework.

• Only mission critical inbuilding staffing with 

approval of their 

Managing Director.

General PPE 

Requirements

• Face coverings required for all personnel in GPO 

facilities in common areas and in areas where social 

distancing cannot be maintained.

• Specific work areas may have their own PPE 

requirements depending on space and environment.

Tenants • Tenants may have access to their spaces.

• Telework strongly encouraged where possible to limit 

impact on GPO common areas.

• No access to GPO common resources (e.g. common 

meeting rooms).

• No visitors other than essential contractors pre-cleared 

through GPO Security.

Travel • Domestic travel may be authorized by Managing Director 

if required for mission critical customer or agency 

priorities.

• Strong preference for ground travel by individuals in 

vehicles if possible.

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Return to work 

Step 2: “Production 

Plus”

Step 2 of the return to work 

plan will build on GPO’s step 

1 operations with more 

flexibility for staff and 

tenants to work in GPO 

facilities.

Managing Directors of business 

units that have primarily been 

teleworking should continue to 

maximize telework, though they 

may initiate an extremely limited 

physical presence in GPO’s spaces 

on an as needed basis. They may 

also approve necessary travel and 

required visitors.

All relevant PPE policies and safety 

procedures are still in place.

Managing Directors will also have 

flexibility to stagger shifts, adjust 

hours, and take other necessary 

steps ensuring GPO teammates can 

work productively while still 

having flexibility to meet needs for 

care of family members or adjust 

for possibly uncertain school 

schedules for children.

Certain critical production 

operations may move to 100 

percent staffing so long as 

sufficient PPE and other safety 

precautions are in place, with the 

approval of the Director.

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Return to work 

Step 2: Production 

Plus

Production & Distribution 

(Plant, SID, Laurel & 

Pueblo, Facilities, Security)

Other Business Units 

(Customer Services, 

Finance, Admin, PST, 

Human Capital, IT, others)

Staffing • Critical production 

functions may resume 

full staffing with 

enhanced safety 

precautions.

• Other teams continue 

alternating schedules.

• Staggered shift starts, 

lunches, and break 

times to maximize 

social distancing.

• Maximum telework 

continues.

• Managing Directors may 

authorize significantly 

reduced staffing to meet 

critical business needs 

while maximizing 

social distancing.

• Flexible work schedules 

to ensure social 

distancing.

General PPE 

Requirements

• Face coverings required for all personnel in GPO 

facilities in common areas and in areas where social 

distancing cannot be maintained.

• Specific work areas may have their own PPE. 

requirements depending on space and environment.

Tenants • Tenants may have access to their spaces.

• Telework strongly encouraged where possible to limit 

impact on GPO common areas.

• Access to GPO common resources so long as social 

distancing is in place.

• Visitors pre-cleared through GPO Security.

Travel • Domestic travel may be authorized by Managing 

Director if required for customer or agency priorities.

• Preference for ground travel by individuals in vehicles 

if possible.

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Return to work 

Step 3: New 

Operating Posture

Step 3 of the return to work 

plan marks the beginning of 

GPO’s future. 

Relying on lessons learned from 

the COVID-19 emergency and 

GPO’s return to work, step 3 marks 

the beginning of GPO’s new 

operating posture where the 

agency integrates the most 

successful safety and workplace 

practices into normal operations.

Many of the barrier requirements 

in production areas will continue 

long after the COVID-19 pandemic 

is over. If the environment allows, 

GPO may relax requirements for 

face coverings and PPE in some 

areas, but will continue to 

encourage social distancing in 

common, production, and office 

spaces.

Step 3 will also begin the work of 

reimagining work in GPO’s nonproduction areas. Where 

applicable, the agency will 

encourage telework and flexible 

hours to enhance productivity. 

With more staff teleworking, GPO 

will have the opportunity to review 

floorplans and workspace and 

implement new approaches, such 

as hoteling or other approaches 

which improve social distancing 

and provide flexibility for the 

workforce.

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Return to work 

Step 3: New 

Operating Posture

Production & Distribution 

(Plant, SID, Laurel & 

Pueblo, Facilities, Security)

Other Business Units 

(Customer Services, 

Finance, Admin, PST, 

Human Capital, IT, others)

Staffing • Shifts return to full 

strength.

• Lunches, breaks, and 

start times may be 

staggered to improve 

social distancing.

• Personnel may continue 

to primarily telework 

with approval of 

Managing Director.

• Business units should 

reorganize workspace 

where possible to 

improve social 

distancing.

General PPE 

Requirements

• Depending on the environment, face coverings may no 

longer be required.

• Specific work areas may have their own PPE 

requirements depending on space and environment.

Tenants • Tenants have access to their spaces.

• Regular access to GPO common resources with social 

distancing encouraged.

• Regular visitor policy.

Travel • Travel may be approved according to GPO policies.

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Steps for 

Protecting 

GPO 

Teammates

Communicating with 

Teammates

Screening at Entry Points

Approach to Team 

Protection

Green, Yellow, and Red 

Zones

Protective Measure 

Examples

Staggered Shift Times

Updating Policies to 

Protect GPO Teammates
Communicating 

about Workplace 

Conditions and 

Teammate 

Responsibilities for

Communication will be key in safely returning to a fully 

productive workplace at GPO. Management will need to 

communicate early and often with labor, supervisors with 

teammates, and back up the chain.

Management

• Unions will be briefed on the plan for returning to work, building on 

ongoing consultation about changes in working conditions.

• GPO’s Director will send a letter (both electronically and through the 

mail) summarizing the plan along with a checklist for teammates to 

ensure that they are prepared to return to work when scheduled, have 

an idea what to expect, and know what to look for at home before 

coming to work, including the requirement to stay home when sick.

Supervisors in Plant/SID

• Supervisors have begun orienting teammates to new procedures and 

how to use new equipment, like PPE.

• Supervisors have been trained on new procedures and are responsible 

for always enforcing safety requirements.

Teammates

• Every teammate, regardless of role at GPO, is responsible to say 

something when they see something that threatens safety.

• Teammates need to understand that they need to stay home when 

they’re sick, even if they think it’s minor.
Screening at GPO 

Entry Points

While GPO will expect teammates 

and tenants to ensure they are not 

sick before leaving home, GPO will 

also be conducting symptom 

screening alongside security 

screening in order to minimize 

viral spread in its facilities.

After reminding those entering 

GPO facilities of the symptoms and 

to “self-screen,” GPO personnel 

will screen temperatures at entry 

points.

Early in step 1 of the return to work 

plan, this will be handled by 

contract personnel taking 

temperatures at the entry points. 

When available, temperature 

screenings will be via skin 

temperature cameras.

Anyone whose temperature is 

above the acceptable range will be 

evaluated by GPO medical 

personnel and referred for testing 

or treatment if indicated.

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Protection starts before the shift begins. GPO will 

check teammates as they enter the building to 

ensure that they are not exhibiting symptoms.
Approach to 

Protecting the Team 

against the Virus

GPO production and distribution 

teams have comprehensively 

reviewed work areas to evaluate 

measures to reduce community 

spread of COVID-19. Using 

“stoplight” coding, GPO divided 

work areas into green, yellow, and 

red areas based upon the ability of 

teammates to social distance and 

other factors. As teammates are 

less able to social distance, 

requirements for PPE and other 

physical barriers go up.

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Green areas are where social 

distancing is easily maintained and 

there is low risk of common touch 

areas, such as individual offices or 

workspaces.

Yellow areas indicate occasional 

passing within close 

proximity with limited common 

touch points such as elevator 

buttons.

Red areas are where individuals 

must work in close proximity.
Green, Yellow, and 

Red Zones

Yellow Zones indicate occasional 

distancing of less than 6 feet, and 

some shared touch spaces.

Examples are hallways, elevators, 

and stairwells. Masks are required.

Red Zones indicate requirement 

for individuals to work in closeproximity more than 15 minutes 

and share high touch surfaces of 

equipment. Masks and face shields 

are required.

Green Zones indicate areas where 

social distancing is easily 

maintained, and individuals are 

unlikely to touch shared 

areas. Examples are individual 

offices and workspaces. Masks are 

not required in these areas.

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Examples of 

Protective Measures 

at GPO

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GPO office space retrofitted 

with additional plexiglass 

dividers.

GPO teammate at Stennis, 

MS facility working with 

PPE.

Press operator working at 

workstation with barriers.
Staggered Shift 

Start, End, and 

Break Times

Start Times (Plant) or Break Times 

(SID)

Plant Press & Bindery

Shift 3 Start time • Midnight – 8:30 am

Shift 1 Start time • 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Security and Intelligent Documents (SID)

Shift 1 Lunch and break times

(Similar arrangements for other shifts)

• 1st Lunch: 10:00 am – 10:45 am

• 2nd Lunch: 11:00 am – 11:45 am

• 3rd Lunch: 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm

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Due to SID production 

process, shift start and 

end times cannot be 

staggered.

SID lunch and breaks 

will be combined with 

no more than 16 

individuals in a 

breakroom.

Depending on 

workload, managers 

in the Plant will 

stagger departure 

times at the end of 

shift
Updating Policies to 

Protect GPO 

Teammates

GPO is updating its 

personnel directives to 

provide flexibility for 

situations that may arise as 

GPO ramps up to its new 

operating posture.

Step 1 and 2 Flexibility

One of the key tools used by GPO 

during the emergency is “Weather 

and Safety Leave” (W&S leave) to 

ensure that GPO teammates 

continue to receive their regular 

pay, even if they are unable to 

telework. We approved W&S leave 

for teammates who were either at 

home in reserve while another 

team from their shift worked or 

they had a preexisting condition 

that made working during the 

COVID-19 emergency hazardous.

Although challenging to implement 

outside of an emergency, W&S 

leave will continue to be an 

important tool for those teammates 

whose age or condition makes it 

difficult for them to perform their 

role. Continued use of W&S leave is 

also essential to GPO’s ability to 

split shifts to enhance social 

distancing and reserve capacity as 

the agency ramps up to its new 

operating posture.

GPO will also implement policies to 

provide continued flexibility for 

teammates who are primarily 

teleworking.

Reasonable Accommodations

GPO’s EEO office is working with 

other business units to establish a 

streamlined reasonable 

accommodation process to address 

the needs of teammates whose 

condition may require a long-term 

change to their working conditions 

during the return to work.

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Updating GPO 

Policies to Protect 

GPO Teammates 

(cont.)

Sick Leave

GPO is currently updating its sick leave policies to address the need for 

teammates to stay home on days they might have previously come to 

work.

In our current COVID-19 environment, we are not aware of every single 

symptom that may indicate the individual is a carrier of COVID19. Additionally, there are individuals who may have minor or no 

symptoms but are still infected. Those infected, even with minor 

symptoms, must remain home in quarantine until they receive a 

NEGATIVE test result.

Our priority is the health and safety of all our teammates, and we will use 

sick leave strategically to fortify our return to work plan.

Annual Leave

As a result of the extended period where GPO teammates have not been 

working, GPO could face a situation at the end of the calendar year where 

teammates may have significant amounts of “use or lose” annual leave. If 

all those employees took their leave at the end of the calendar year, GPO 

may not have enough people to complete work for our customers.

While the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has publicly indicated 

that it may give some regulatory flexibility regarding “use or lose” annual 

leave, GPO is concerned that it may not be sufficient. GPO may ask 

Congress for additional flexibility to carry over unused annual leave.

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Change Log July 2, 2020

• Removed references to the Inspector General’s office.

February 26, 2021

• Updated schedule to reflect change to step 2 and anticipated timing of 

step 3.

• Updated step 2 to allow for full staffing in critical production areas. 

Also updated to reflect maintaining maximum telework posture.

• Updated Press and Bindery schedules to reflect current work schedule.

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Keeping America Informed