1. What’s the main workplace safety guidance we should follow?
• Maricopa County Department of Public Health(https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/58714/COVID-19-Business-Guidance-FINAL-Approved-3-13-20?bidId=)
• OSHA (https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf)
• 4 Risk zones(https://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html#difference)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently published Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19,(https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf) outlining steps employers can take to help protect their workforce. OSHA has divided workplaces and work operations into four risk zones,(https://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html#difference) according to the likelihood of employees’ occupational exposure during a pandemic. These risk zones are useful in determining appropriate work practices and precautions.
Very High Exposure Risk:
• Healthcare employees performing aerosol-generating procedures on known or suspected pandemic patients.
• Healthcare or laboratory personnel collecting or handling specimens from known or suspected pandemic patients.
High Exposure Risk:
• Healthcare delivery and support staff exposed to known or suspected pandemic patients.
• Medical transport of known or suspected pandemic patients in enclosed vehicles.
• Performing autopsies on known or suspected pandemic patients.
Medium Exposure Risk:
• Employees with high-frequency contact with the general population (such as schools, high population density work environments, and some high-volume retail).
Lower Exposure Risk (Caution):
• Employees who have minimal occupational contact with the general public and other coworkers (such as office employees).
Our guidance focuses on medium to lower risk work environments and please contact us for additional support in Very High and High Exposure settings.
2. What if an employee appears sick?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has provided interim guidance that may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.
Recommended strategies for employers (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html)to use now are available at Center for Disease Control and Prevention.(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html)
Recommended strategies for employers to use now:
• Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
• Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F [37.8° C] or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants). Employees should notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
• Ensure that your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance and that employees are aware of these policies.
• Talk with companies that provide your business with contract or temporary employees about the importance of sick employees staying home and encourage them to develop non-punitive leave policies.
• Do not require a healthcare provider’s note for employees who are sick with acute respiratory illness to validate their illness or to return to work, as healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.
• Employers should maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member. Employers should be aware that more employees may need to stay at home to care for sick children or other sick family members than is usual.
• Separate sick employees:
• 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. Sick employees should cover their noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available).
• Emphasize staying home when sick, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees:
• Place posters that encourage staying home when sick,(https://www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/tools-resources/educational-materials.html) cough and sneeze etiquette,(https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html) and hand hygiene (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/materials.html)at the entrance to your workplace and in other workplace areas where they are likely to be seen.
• Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees.
• Instruct employees to clean their hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60-95% alcohol, or wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.
• Provide soap and water and alcohol-based hand rubs in the workplace. Ensure that adequate supplies are maintained. Place hand rubs in multiple locations or in conference rooms to encourage hand hygiene.
• Visit the coughing and sneezing etiquette (https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/etiquette/coughing_sneezing.html)and clean hands webpage (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html)for more information.
• Perform routine environmental cleaning:
• Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label.
• No additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning is recommended at this time.
• Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces (for example, doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls, desks) can be wiped down by employees before each use.
• Advise employees before traveling to take certain steps:
• Check the CDC’s Traveler’s Health Notices (https://www.cdc.gov/travel)for the latest guidance and recommendations for each country to which you will travel. CDC website.(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html)
• Advise employees to check themselves for symptoms of acute respiratory illness b(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html)efore starting travel and notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
• 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.
• If outside the United States, sick employees should follow your company’s policy for obtaining medical care or contact a healthcare provider or overseas medical assistance company to assist them with finding an appropriate healthcare provider in that country. A U.S. consular officer can help locate healthcare services. However, U.S. embassies, consulates, and military facilities do not have the legal authority, capability, and resources to evacuate or give medicines, vaccines, or medical care to private U.S. citizens overseas.
• Additional Measures in Response to Currently Occurring Sporadic Importations of the COVID-19:
• Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html)of their potential exposure.
• If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees exposed to a co-worker with confirmed COVID-19 should refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html)of their potential exposure.
3. Can we ask an employee to stay home or leave work if they exhibit symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus or the flu?
According to CDC guidance,(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html) individuals who have had close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 should self-quarantine. Employers can require an employee who has been exposed to the virus to stay at home.
4. When should we exclude workers or visitors from the workspace?
Employees should stay home or go home if they have symptoms of coronavirus infection. But dedicated staff often resist taking sick days, instead dragging themselves into work where they may infect others. Given the threat this epidemic presents, managers shouldn’t hesitate to send employees who present with Covid-19 symptoms home. Likewise, employees or visitors who are symptomatic or at high risk for Covid-19 should be kept separate from staff and helped with arrangements to leave the workplace and obtain medical evaluation while minimizing their public exposure. For example, they should avoid public places and public transportation, and, ideally, should stay six feet away from others unless they are wearing a mask.
If Covid-19 becomes widespread in the community, companies can check temperatures using hand-held thermal scanners and consider excluding staff or visitors with temperatures over 100.4 F. Temperature is not an exceptionally accurate way to assess risk, though, as some with the coronavirus will be contagious but have no fever, and others will have higher temperatures not related to this virus. Thus, an elevated temperature in combination with respiratory symptoms is the best indicator of possible infection.
For more, see the CDC’s “Guidance for Risk Assessment”(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html) and separate guidance for healthcare settings.(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hcp.html)
5. Should we revise our benefits policies in cases where employees are barred from the worksite or we close it?
The likelihood that increasing numbers of employees will be unable to work either because they are sick or must care for others means that companies should review their paid time off and sick leave policies now. Policies that give employees confidence that they will not be penalized and can afford to take sick leave are an important tool in encouraging self-reporting and reducing potential exposure. A Harvard Business Review (HBR) survey found that nearly 40% of employers have or plan to clarify their pay policy if worksites are closed or employees are furloughed.
While few companies outside of Asia have closed worksites yet because of the epidemic, about half of the Chinese companies we surveyed had shut down worksites at least temporarily. Such closures will likely become more common outside of Asia should the epidemic continue on its current course.
Most firms will treat Covid-19 in their policies as they would any other illness, and sick leave or short-term disability insurance would be applicable. However, exclusion from the workplace might not be covered by disability policies, and prolonged absence could last longer than available sick leave. The same HBR survey found that more than 90% of employers in China paid their workers in full and maintained full benefits during furloughs. Companies should promulgate clear policies on this now and communicate about these with employees. Most will want to offer protections to their workforce to the extent this is financially feasible. (HBR)
6. How can we maximize employees’ ability to work remotely?
Free conference call resources services:
• Zoom(https://zoom.us/)
• GoToMeeting(https://free.gotomeeting.com/)
• Join.Me(https://www.join.me/)
• Skype(https://www.skype.com/en/)
Other resources:
• Slalom: How to Lead and Work in the Coronavirus World(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__go.slalom.com_c19&d=DwMGaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=jbTB4IEb_EPjB3J-h9IUdUk82kArYCyTdyKfFV22M14&m=-1eL9OV0kJPKL-gAPDelj5J4WIkvUA8PbHBPfON8uGQ&s=Lr68BuW0IBUoxHn3l0LzapnOpT63dObd0K2qwrb1ZCM&e=)
• Psychology Today: 5 Tips for Working From Home During COVID-19(https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/digital-leaders/202003/5-tips-working-home-amid-covid-19)
• Staff.com: Remote Work Benefits, Obstacles, and Best Practices(https://powderkeg.com/remote-work-liam-martin-of-time-doctor-and-staff-com-on-benefits-obstacles-and-best-practices/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=84915856&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9cybPN9zZtGADSdl0Ah356j29B177uTdan37lWScM0WjB6uy6xHsq7n3BNenLSMTlGx27KHzjeNea7ZE9XijrTyNBFUw&_hsmi=84915856)
• Harvard Review: 15 Questions About Remote Work(https://hbr.org/2020/03/15-questions-about-remote-work-answered?utm_medium=email&utm_source=registrants&utm_campaign=covid19readinglists_20200318&deliveryName=DM72959)
7. Do we have reliable systems for real-time public health communication with employees?
Dangerous rumors and worker fears can spread as quickly as a virus. It is imperative for companies to be able to reach all workers, including those not at the worksite, with regular, internally coordinated, factual updates about infection control, symptoms, and company policy regarding remote work and circumstances in which employees might be excluded from or allowed to return to the workplace. These communications should come from or be vetted by the emergency response team, and they should be carefully coordinated to avoid inconsistent policies being communicated by different managers or functions. Clearly this requires organizations to maintain current phone/text and email contact information for all employees and test organization-wide communication periodically. If you don’t have a current, universal contact capability already, now is a good time to create this.
8. Should we revise our policies around international and domestic business travel?
• CDC Travel Advisories(https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices)
• State Department Travel Advisories(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/travel-advisory-alert-global-level-3-health-advisory-issue.html)
9. Should we postpone or cancel scheduled conferences or meetings?
If you have any questions about best practices, contact your local health department. Many employers are cancelling all but the most essential business travel.
There is mounting evidence that social distancing can delay the epidemic and potentially save lives, so most meetings and conferences should be converted from in-person to virtual. The CDC now recommends suspending all gatherings of over 50 people. If you have a meeting, limit the number of attendees and encourage those who are older or have chronic disease to attend virtually. Provide room to allow attendees to sit or stand at least six feet away from others. Discourage hand-shaking and assure that proper handwashing facilities (and/or hand sanitizers) are easily available.
10. What steps can we take now to minimize risk of transmission?
• Repeatedly, creatively, and aggressively encourage employees and others to take the same steps they should be taking to avoid the seasonal flu. For the annual influenza, SARS, avian flu, swine flu, and now the COVID-19 coronavirus, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid exposure. The messages you should be giving to your employees are:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.Avoid close contact with others, especially those who are sick.
• Refrain from shaking hands with others for the time being.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Perhaps the most important message you can give to employees: stay home when you are sick.
• As an employer, you should be doing the following:
• Ensure that employees have ample facilities to wash their hands, including tepid water and soap, and that third-party cleaning/custodial schedules are accelerated.
• Evaluate your remote work capacities and policies (see later section on Remote Work for more information). Teleconference or use other remote work tools in lieu of meeting in person if available.
• Consider staggering employee starting and departing times, along with lunch and break periods, to minimize overcrowding in common areas such as elevators, break rooms, etc.
• Have a single point of contact for employees for all concerns that arise relating to health and safety.
• Follow updates from the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding additional precautions.
• Additional Resources:
• OSHA pandemic(https://www.osha.gov/Publications/influenza_pandemic.html#difference)
• Ready.gov(https://www.ready.gov/pandemic)