Coronavirus for Employers
Below are some tips for employers todeal with coronavirus concerns:
Prevention
- Alert employees as to the symptoms and risks associated
with the coronavirus, as well as prevention measures. This information is
readily available from official health sources, including your local
public health office.
- Encourage employees to wash their hands prior to
commencing work, after sneezing and coughing, and after they touch objects
that may have been in contact with people exhibiting flu-like symptoms.
- Have hand sanitizers available (and even respiratory
masks), if and when appropriate.
- Review cleaning procedures in place to regularly
disinfect equipment, work stations and the workplace generally.
- Consider introducing a policy requiring disclosure of
employee personal travel to a coronavirus hotspot, including the province
of Hubei in China and other largely affected areas. A return to work
guideline that outlines whether employees returning from an at-risk-area
will be required to absent themselves from the workplace and whether they
will be eligible to apply for sick pay or be otherwise paid for time away
from work.
Containment
- Require sick employees to stay home.
- Consider accommodating at-risk employees by use of
alternative work arrangements.
Prepare for Possible Work Refusal
- Ensure that supervisors and managers are familiar with
work refusal obligations and steps as required under applicable health and
safety legislation.
Consider whether to operate or not
- Determine to what extent the business can operate in
the event of an actual pandemic.
- Assess staffing needs, including alternative work
locations, overtime agreements, and alternative means of getting work done
without direct human-to-human contact (e.g., remote work and
telecommuting).
- Assess the effect of a outbreak on suppliers, service
providers and customers.
- Consider how much time is needed for an orderly
shutdown, if necessary.
- Review insurance coverage and relevant agreements to
determine how the employer can meet contract terms if it decides not to
operate.
Security Considerations
- Consider whether the employer’s facility is secure, in
anticipation of possible service (e.g., hydro, water) reductions, reduced
staffing levels and the possible need to shut down, without much, if any,
warning.
Determine sickness/disability coverage
- Contact insurers to determine sickness/disability
coverage, including for employees who have been asked (or ordered) to
self-quarantine but who are not sick.
Determine obligation to permit employee to be absent from work to care for sick family members
- Review applicable legislation, policies and obligations
to determine if employees are entitled to family responsibility and/or
other legislated leaves to care for sick family members.
Communication
- Determine who will be responsible for issuing
communications.
- Provide information to employees about the coronavirus
and associated symptoms and risks.
- Carefully and clearly communicate information, policies
and procedures to all employees.
- Ensure employees get regular, updated training and
information on hazards and hazard identification.
- Establish a system for employees to report their status
during an outbreak, including what information they are required to
communicate (and how) to the employer and when they are expected to NOT
report to work.
- Ensure employee and employee emergency contact
information is up to date.
- Inform employees of how the employer will communicate
with them in the event of an emergency.
Visitors
- Consider restricting or delaying visits.
- Where applicable, consider asking visitors to complete
questionnaires in advance of attending the workplace to identify visitors
who have flu-like symptoms or who may have had contact with a person
infected with the coronavirus.
- Ask visitors to provide information as to where and how
they may be contacted after their visit, in the event that the coronavirus
develops in the workplace and they need to be notified.