What to Do in the Workplace With Coronavirus
We know how people should protect themselves from COVID-19 : Basically wash your hands and stay at home if you get sick. But in the workplace, there is more responsibility here, because they can be places where the virus can spread.
The CDC has guidelines for specific actions that companies should take to keep their employees safe. If your company is an airline , school or medical facility , there are separate guidelines for them. But let’s take a look at the basic things that all employers should do:
Provide a decent sick leave policy
People who have symptoms of COVID-19, including fever and cough, should stay at home whenever possible and get tested for the virus if necessary. This is good practice for any illness – you would not want someone to come to work with the flu or even a cold , where they can pass it on to others.
Unfortunately, many workers either cannot afford to stay at home or face obstacles such as the need to obtain a doctor’s certificate at the workplace. A doctor’s note is not only a deterrent to interruption and a waste of the sick person’s time, but also creates additional work for healthcare professionals at a time when resources can be severely depleted.
If we want people not to come to work sick, it’s easy to take sick days, and you don’t need to risk your livelihood to do so. By the way, some states and cities have paid sick leave laws , so find out if this applies to you.
Help people work from home
The fewer social contacts people have, the less opportunities for the virus to spread. For example, in Wuhan, Lunar New Year gatherings were canceled, which may have helped contain the spread of the virus. In a similar vein, some conferences are now being canceled. This may make sense, especially if there are more cases in the US where jobs encourage employees to avoid travel and work from home.
With this in mind, a smart employer must now make plans to keep people from coming to the office. Teleconferencing and remote access to work computer systems can be part of this plan if you have desktop work.
Workers may also need to stay at home to care for a family member, such as a child, elder relative, or neighbor. The CDC encourages employers to allow this as well.
Simplify hand washing
We need to wash our hands, but we can depend on the equipment in our workplace. CDC recommends employers provide handwashing facilities, hand sanitizer, wipes, and no-touch trash cans to dispose of specified wipes.
The CDC even provides posters on hand washing , coughing etiquette and staying home when you are sick to remind employees to do the right thing and signal that employers are upholding good practices.
Keep track of travel restrictions and conditions
If your job is travel related, your employer should follow the CDC’s travel guidelines and develop a plan to decide when it is appropriate to cancel travel. They should also take on the job of canceling reservations and changing travel schedules. (The CDC doesn’t say it, but I do. You travel for work, and rightfully so.)
If you fall ill while traveling, your employer should help you get medical help. If you fall ill before leaving, you should stay at home and your employer should support and help you.