How To Keep Employees Healthy In The Workplace
As you probably already know, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. With the pandemic level declared, then you need to know that the COVID-19 can affect all aspects of daily life including food supplies, tourism, trade, work, travel, and even the financial markets.
The reality is that it's hard to stay away from any news related to the COVID-19. Nevertheless, and while you may have already heard and read that you should make sure to wash your hands frequently and maintain social distance, when you are a business owner, you need to also make sure that the workplace is safe for your staff to work and still be protected.
How To Keep Employees Healthy In The Workplace
As a business owner, your first concern should be towards your employees as well as your customers if you or your staff have direct contact with them.
According to the latest guidelines:
#1: Make Notice Of Worker's Individual Risk Factors:
According to OMS, some factors may lead to an individual being more prone to get infected with COVID-19. These include chronic medical conditions, older age, pregnancy, and respiratory conditions.
#2: Develop Contingency Plans:
One of the things that you need to keep in mind with COVID-19 is that an outbreak may occur when you least expect. So, you need to have a detailed plan to follow.
A contingency plan should include the need for social distancing, downsizing operations, delivering services remotely, among others. Besides, it is important to reduce your workforce to only conduct essential operations.
#3: Talk To Your Employees:
During this tough time, it is important that you communicate clearly with your employees and ensure that they can come up to you in any circumstance. You should make sure that they:
Frequently wash their hands with soap and running water and, when these aren't available, you should have alcohol-based hand rubs that contain at least 70% of alcohol at their disposal.
Stay home if they are or feel sick.
Follow the respiratory etiquette that includes coughing and sneezing to their arms.
#4: Be Flexible:
The last thing you want is to close your doors. After all, this means lost revenue. However, you also want to ensure that your employees have a safe workplace at their disposal. So, when it is possible, you should explore other practices that include flexible work hours as well as telecommuting. Besides, you should also allow your employees to work remotely when it is possible.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many things you can do to ensure that your employees continue to be healthy in the workplace. Make sure to read these tips carefully and to apply all of them.