Crisis Actions . . . Back at the Office/Workplace

Noting the potential of health emergencies like the coronavirus to seriously hurt workforces and weaken productivity, XpertHR (www. xperthr.com) — which helps businesses with HR solutions from the federal, state and municipal level — suggests employers prepare by having an emergency plan in place and offers a free Contagious Disease Policy and Business Continuity Policy to help organizations be prepared for potential disasters and emergencies.

“Having written policies is beneficial in providing clear communication to all employees, visitors, contractors, consultants and vendors who work with a company impacted by a contagious disease or other disaster,” explains Melissa Gonzalez Boyce, JD, legal editor at XpertHR. “When crisis strikes, no one is ever truly prepared. However, in business, management should have measures in place to ensure they are prepared for an emergency  ahead of time.”

In addition to a Contagious Disease Policy, XpertHR also recommends that organizations have a written Business Continuity Policy to guide business operations when decisions must be made rapidly in a chaotic atmosphere.

Health emergencies like the coronavirus have the potential to seriously hurt workforces and weaken productivity. As a result, employers should prepare by having an emergency plan in place that addresses the following issues:

Which employees should come to the workplace? Preparations should be made so that as many employees as possible can work from home. This can be done through issuing computers or other equipment for employees to use at home, if possible.

How will employees find out their whether their workplace is closed or otherwise affected? Options to consider are providing a dedicated phone number or website that employees can use to find out the status of their workplace.

What should be done when employees are too sick to work? There should be a contingency plan in place for ensuring vital duties and functions are handled if an employee is unable to work for an extended period of time.

How will a business run if a large portion of the workforce is affected? Every employer should have a business continuity plan in place, in case of a pandemic, natural disaster or other emergency.

And employers need to be aware that the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires them to ensure their employees have safe and healthy workplaces and Occupational Safety and Health Act reporting requirements. Since OSHA has deemed the coronavirus to be a recordable illness when a worker is infected on the job, an employer must record any such cases on the OSHA 300 log.

XpertHR addresses these points and more at bit.ly/3cyrzuH.