Employer Guide to COVID-19
Preparing
Make a plan and get employee feedback. Be sure you have employee and customer buy-in. Let customers and employees know that operations may change. Identify which employees are comfortable with adapting to change. You may need to create new employee roles for safety reasons.
Create a checklist
How will your craft 6-foot policies into your business? When will you clean your business, and how frequent? Should you be using masks or face shields? Come up with a plan to manage high-risk individuals. Make your plan easy to understand.
Keep Your Distance
Each business is unique and building designs are not all the same. Every employer will need to figure out what may work in the workplace. Employers should consider restructuring the break room and lunch room to accommodate 6 feet of distance. Remind employees and customers of the 6 foot requirement and enforce policies. When individuals cannot be 6 feet apart, consider using face shields. Incorporate physical barriers between customers and staff. Consider using teleconference software over in-person meetings. If you must have in-person meetings, you should limit the capacity of the room. Employers may find it easier to abide by social distancing guidelines if employee shifts are staggered.
Resuming Business
When employees begin to return to work it is imperative to reiterate the company policies pertaining to infectious disease. Show your employees you are serious about their health. Incorporate symptom checking. Explain to employees person hygiene requirements and the necessity of hand washing. Communicate cleaning responsibilities to employees. Importantly, communicate to your employees your sick leave policy if an employee becomes sick with COVID-19 Depending on the size and type of business, having medical advice may be necessary.
Risk Factors:
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Diabetes
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Asthma
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COPD
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Autoimmune diseases
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Obesity
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Age
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Smoking
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Chronic health conditions
COVID-19 & Symptomatic Employees
COVID-19 is new, and healthcare professionals are still learning about the disease. Be sure to communicate regularly with healthcare professionals to be updated on the virus. People may spread the disease without showing any symptoms. Encourage your employees to stay home if they feel ill. If an employee is experiencing symptoms you should send them home. Strictly follow and pay attention to updates from your local department of health. You should communicate to your employees exposure risk in a confidential manner. Establish a return-to-work policy for when an employee recovers from COVID-19. Maintain a log of employees that have been ill and have tested positive to COVID-19. When an employee has a confirmed case of COVID-19, determine if any other employees or customers have been exposed.