What do Employers Need to Know About Coronavirus?

2020 has brought with it an additional and unexpected challenge for businesses around the world with the outbreak of coronavirus.

Consequently it’s probably a good time to take stock of relevant policies, processes and consider the welfare of our employees to ensure our business is able to continue to operate!

Coronavirus (novel coronavirus or COVID-19) rates are increasing daily and the media seems intent on feeding widespread panic across the world. Scenes of panic buying across the world, (never has toilet paper been so sought after!), images of people physically fighting in supermarket aisles and more and more masked people around the city. But as businesses we do have a duty of care to our employees to keep them safe and healthy in the workplace and in undertaking the tasks associated with their role.

We also need to safeguard our businesses and continue to operate! Its important that industry continues, and the cogs of commerce continue to turn!

We all know the basics of the virus – how we can work to contain it (washing hands frequently, “catching” your coughs or sneezes and being cautious specifically of those immune compromised or elderly), but what can businesses do and what are businesses doing worldwide to manage employees until Covid-19 can be contained. Some are interesting and sensible, while some are more “adventurous”. Regardless, all are, in this crazy time, worth considering!

1.     Updating the workforce

Maintaining great communications and channels for communication with your employees is very important. Often email is a great tool but for some businesses this is not always the best option. Health and Safety noticeboards and morning briefings can assist in cascading information that has been provided by local government bodies.

This seems like an ideal time to ensure you have updated employees contact details, personal email addresses and phone numbers as well as emergency contacts. It’s a great thing to do annually but even more so when these details could be required if there is an outbreak in your workplace and there is need to isolate.

Understanding who, within your workforce may be particularly at risk is also important. As employers we don’t always know who may be immunocompromised (or who may have loved ones who are) and it is certainly not a requirement to tell us. The ideal is that staff feel comfortable that they can disclose any medical issues confidentially and then you will be able to support them in keeping themselves safe.

2.     Training for Managers

Educating Managers on how to identify symptoms and the processes for management of employees who do display symptoms (or identify themselves as having reason to self-isolate) can be extremely important. This is not the first illness and will certainly not be the last we, as business owners have to manage (lets not forget SARS and more recently measles) and now would certainly be a great time to refresh your policies on contractable illnesses and how the business processes support the management of cases.

It is also a great time to decide your policies on leave taken relating to self-isolation. Some companies have confirmed that sick pay will be able to be used for those who do choose to self-isolate. 

3.     Control of Infection / Spread

Providing facilities that support hygiene in the workplace is extremely important. This really is the only way to prevent the disease (bar barricading ourselves in our homes with three years supply of toilet roll). Providing hand sanitizer and taps/basins with warm water and soap to wash hands as required is ideal.

A Digital Marketing Agency (Reboot) in London has introduced a few novel ways to control infection in their offices. They have a timer within each office to remind all staff to wash their hands every thirty minutes. They have also banned the sharing of keyboards or any other equipment across the offices and, most shockingly they have banned table tennis in the office (the world has gone mad!).

4.     Alternative methods of greeting!

Many companies have also banned handshaking in the office. On Twitter, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Director of Pandemic Disease, Sylvie Brand, retweeted an infographic illustrating how employees can get creative to avoid shaking hands with others which included 'elbow bumping' and waving as alternatives. Seems crazy, but hey, if it’s the difference between illness and not, I’m personally happy to forego a sweaty handshake any day!

5.     Business Travel

This is certainly the time to review your business travel policies and decide if your staff do really need to travel internationally. Certainly, some locations would be near impossible to travel to at this time anyway but many businesses including Amazon, most recently have banned “non-essential work travel”.

Reviewing your company travel insurance is important at a time like this. If sending an employee on work related travel, it is imperative that you check they would be covered should they contract Clovid-19 and be required to stay in overseas hospitals. Perhaps more likely, are you covered if travel must be cancelled due to regulatory bodies reducing travel to and from a location. Many insurance companies are coming under fire for not including “pandemics” in policies so checking and being aware of the risks are imperative.

It is important as a business to communicate how you, as a business will manage personal travel and the requirement for self-isolation following this travel, if it should be required. It is also worth considering if this personal travel will impact business travel later on down the line (i.e if there was a requirement for an employee to later travel to a country that had a ban on those who had been in certain countries within a set time frame).

6.     Events

Work related events, especially those involving many employees (or indeed people!) should be reviewed and considered in light of the virus. Many countries, such as Singapore, have banned large gatherings of any sorts. With weddings being cancelled, conferences postponed and even the Olympics in question this is the best time to really consider if your company needs to attend or hold a large gathering? Utilising virtual meetings, webinars or just finding workarounds to cascade information could mean the difference between an unwell workforce and one that continues to be productive and healthy.

Remote working

7.     Remote Working

By far the most popular approach across companies has been to encourage and allow more flexibility in terms of working from home. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, recently asked employees to work from home “if your job allows it”. Obviously, this is not feasible for some businesses – retail and warehousing require the majority of their workforce on site, but it is definitely worth considering. If self-isolation (or imposed) does become common place in the coming months the ability for some or all your workforce to work from home may be the key to business continuity.

8.     Communication

I feel like most of the articles we write seem to cover this, but communication seems even more important against a landscape of contractable illness. Transparency and providing updates often to your staff will make them feel more informed. Most HR professionals are reviewing local and national governing bodies advice and information daily and it seems logical to cascade this to your staff and act accordingly.

If any of your staff are feeling unwell or indeed suspect they may need to isolate the best you can hope for is that they communicate their concerns to you as soon as possible so as you can consider next steps for them and your business.  Your worst nightmare would be employees attending work while unwell (and aware they are unwell) as they are fearful of your reaction or repercussions.

9.     Emotional Support

We are living in a time of insecurity for many – insecurity as to how their jobs will be impacted, their health and the health of their loved ones. Do not underestimate how this can affect an employee. With increasing number of those impacted by mental health and anxiety it is important to be mindful of fear, as rational or irrational it may seem to you. Kindness is key in challenging times. No employee should ever feel singled out due to race or ethnicity nor due to their health status.  Ensure any communications, policies or directives reflect a support and care for employees and do not tolerate bullying or unsupportive behavior in your business.

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