Business, Employer and Employee Planning – COVID-19

Business, Employer and Employee Planning - COVID-19

(US Chamber of Commerce Foundation)

The following guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including the coronavirus, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of the coronavirus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This guidance is based on what is currently known about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All employers should be ready to implement strategies to protect their workforce from the coronavirus while ensuring continuity of operations. As with all illnesses, sick employees should stay home and away from the workplace, use cough and sneeze etiquette, frequently clean hands with soap and water, and routinely clean commonly touched surfaces.

IN ADVANCE OF EMPLOYEES GETTING SICK

Workforce Planning: Make sure you have a communications plan with emergency numbers, employee contact information, and a core communication team in place. Identify indispensable workers, cross-train on essential skills, and identify key equipment, files, and data.

Determine whether flex working is an option: Review human resources policies and explore whether you can establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (e.g., telecommuting) and flexible work hours. Supervisors should educate employees that if they become sick, they should telework instead of coming into the workplace until symptoms are completely resolved.
Create an employee communications plan: Establish a process to communicate the latest coronavirus information to employees and business partners. Anticipate employee fear, anxiety, rumors, and misinformation, and plan communications accordingly.
Decide how to handle spikes in absenteeism: Determine how you will operate if absenteeism spikes from increases in sick employees, those who stay home to care for sick family members, and those who must stay home to watch their children if dismissed from school.
Coordinate with state and local health officials: Coordination with state and local health officials is strongly encouraged for all businesses so that timely and accurate information can guide appropriate responses in each location where their operations reside. Given the intensity of an outbreak may differ according to geographic location, local health officials will be issuing guidance specific to their communities.
Make a business continuity plan: Be prepared to change your business practices if needed to maintain critical operations (e.g., identify alternative suppliers, prioritize customers, consider digital meetings, or temporarily suspend some of your operations if needed).

WHEN EMPLOYEES BECOME SICK

Ensure that your sick leave policies are flexible: Consistent with public health guidance, permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member, and that employees are aware of these policies. Actively encourage sick employees to stay home. Employees should notify their supervisor if they are sick and won’t be coming into the office.
Local decision making: Employers with more than one business location are encouraged to provide local managers with the authority to take appropriate actions based on the conditions in each locality.
Employee travel: Ensure employees who become sick while traveling or on temporary assignment understand that they should notify their supervisor and should promptly call a healthcare provider for advice if needed.
Separate sick employees: The CDC recommends that employees who appear to have acute respiratory illness symptoms (i.e. cough, shortness of breath) upon arrival to work or become sick during the day should be separated from other employees and be sent home immediately.
Social distancing: Plan to minimize exposure between healthy employees and between those employees and the public.
Workplace hygiene: Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs. Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces can be wiped down by employees before each use.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS

Health confidentiality: If an employee is confirmed to have the coronavirus infection, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to the coronavirus in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees exposed to a co-worker with confirmed coronavirus should refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.
OSHA requirements: Identify possible work-related exposure and health risks to your employees. At the time, there is no specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard covering the coronavirus. However, some OSHA requirements may apply to preventing occupational exposure to the coronavirus. OSHA has more information on how to protect workers from potential exposures to the coronavirus.

Getting Things Done – Working During COVID-19

PREPARE A LIST OF FAQ’s

Prepare a list of responses for questions your customers are asking, or you expect them to ask. Share the list with your employees so everyone is working from the same page. Provide as much detail and reassurance as possible. Questions regarding cancelled orders or refunds will be different for each business.

COMMUNICATION: STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS

Proactively share important information with your customers using email, your website, social media, etc. Consider including information about the measures you’re taking to make your premises or products safe, or how you will handle customer inquiries if there are expected delivery delays.

Have you had to postpone or cancel planned events? Host events and promotions online. A webinar or live sessions on social media are two examples of how you can stay connected and even reach new customers. Chamber member, Two Wheels Marketing has posted some sound advice on how COVID-19 will impact your digital marketing.

WORKING FROM HOME

Are you recommending employees work from home? Questions have arisen about whether the internet can handle the increased usage. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently working with internet companies to open wifi hot spots, to maintain internet services if users cannot pay their bills, and to waive late fees. If you or your employees are working from home, contact your internet provider to see if they will increase your speed and/or lift your data caps so you won’t be stuck paying excessive fees.