To date, there have been 2,000 deaths from the coronavirus (officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization), and it is spreading rapidly. Take a few minutes to remind your employees how to stay safe and healthy in the face of COVID-19. Start by ensuring that you have a pandemic plan that addresses:
- Workplace safety precautions.
- Employee travel restrictions.
- Provisions for stranded travelers unable to return home.
- Mandatory medical check-ups, vaccinations, or medication.
- Mandatory reporting of exposure, such as employees reporting to employers and employers reporting to public health authorities.
- Employee quarantine or isolation.
- Facility shutdowns.
- Details about how to communicate with employees about staying away from work when they are sick.
It is important to promote calm and help employees feel confident that management has the situation under control and is doing everything possible to protect them. You can check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website daily to track the virus. The CDC also has educational materials and resources you can download.
