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COVID-19 https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-shaking-hands-in-latex-gloves-3959482/

The COVID0-19 global pandemic has affected many spheres of human life. Businesses have been hit hard, and many companies can’t afford to stop working completely. That’s why companies need to take the necessary steps to ensure that their employees remain healthy.

They also need to get all the benefits to recover in case they are infected. Businesses need to communicate and coordinate with officials from their countries to get the latest relevant information.

This allows them to make the right decisions to ensure their employees remain healthy. At the same time, for companies that can, it’s essential to try and maintain business operations and keep clients.

Strong Communication is Essential

All companies need to get the latest information on the pandemic from local and government authorities. They need to share this information with employees so that they know how to behave. Companies need to find HR employees that will work as coordinators while COVID-19 is still active.

Telling employees about their rights and how they need to behave in the workplace is essential. Businesses will need to provide sanitary equipment at the workplace and make policies that obligate employees to use them several times per day.

A lot of companies have added policies restricting handshaking, employees being too close to each other, and gathering in larger groups while at work. Due to practical and legal reasons, all companies must be able to prove that all their employees are informed on how to behave and prevent infection.

Transparency and Visibility

Everything that is going one with employees’ health should be reported immediately, and measures need to be taken accordingly. For example, the US CDC has put out recommended steps that should be followed by sick employees.

Anyone who has some of the potential coronavirus symptoms like difficulty breathing, cough, or high fever should be instructed to report to HR supervisors. Furthermore, these employees shouldn’t return to work until the conditions have been met to end their home isolation.

All of these things should be followed up with the right policies and procedures so that every employee knows how to behave to avoid putting others in danger.

Some companies are having their HR managers announce when it’s time to wash hands, remind employees how to get in and out of the building, and constantly explain the situation that they’re in.

Work From Home Policy

All companies that have the option should implement a work from home policy. This kind of policy allows everyone to work remotely and completely reduces the chance of more employees getting infected by the virus.

At the same time, it removes the need for changes in the workplace and monitoring employee behavior. With remote work, a business can maintain its productivity and keep its bottom line. All the necessary communication can be done online, while projects can be managed via various software solutions.

It might take a while to prepare your employees for this, but down the line, it will benefit your business. Furthermore, some studies suggest that a lot of employees are more productive when they work from home. Your “work from home” policy should outline important elements like:

  • Work hours
  • Outline communication methods
  • Timekeeping methods

Companies are going through a tough period, and they need to make the necessary policy change to keep their workforce healthy. At the same time, if they don’t make the right changes, they might be liable legally.

This is why they’ve all made new employee policies in regard to the coronavirus. These new rules help companies remain as productive as possible while reducing liability.