As you probably know, COVID-19, or the most recent coronavirus detected in humans, has taken the world by storm and already infected thousands of people since its inception in late 2019. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (The CDC), “much is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads” but it is evident that this virus can be spread from person to person. In order to limit the spread of this virus, it is imperative that employers put the necessary strategies in place to protect themselves and their employees as best as possible. Read on for a few strategies you can implement in the workplace today to help your company in this time of uncertainty.
- Encourage employees to stay home if they are sick
- According to the Harvard Business Review, employees should be encouraged to stay home if “they have respiratory symptoms (coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath) and/or a temperature above 100.4 F.” Likewise, employees that develop any symptoms while at work should be sent home so as not to spread any sickness to their colleagues. Encouraging symptomatic employees to work from home is a simple measure that should be put in place in order to prevent and stop the spread of disease.
- Limit employee business travel
- Non-essential business travel should be postponed, but if travel is essential, The CDC recommends that all travelers first check themselves for “symptoms of acute respiratory illness before starting travel and notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.” Travelling employees should also be frequently checking “the CDC’s Traveler’s Health Notices for the latest guidance and recommendations for each country” that they will be travelling to. To access that information, your employees can visit the following website: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel. Further, if employees contract symptoms during or after travelling, the CDC recommends that they “notify their supervisor” and “promptly call a healthcare provider for advice if needed”.
- Perform routine environmental cleaning in the workplace
- According to the CDC, you should be cleaning and disinfecting “frequently touched surfaces daily”. That includes “tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks”, as well as computers, coffee machines and anything else that may be frequently touched by various people in the workplace. Frequent cleaning will help stop the spread of germs within the workplace.
- If in-person meetings are scheduled, convert them to virtual meetings
- If possible, converting in-person meetings to virtual ones is a smart move because it helps ensure social distancing. According to an article by Forbes, social distancing “includes any method to keep people as physically separate from each other because physical proximity is how many pathogens go from one body to another.” Further, Harvard Business Review states that there is “mounting evidence that social distancing can delay the epidemic and potentially save lives.” Converting in-person meetings to virtual ones promotes social distancing and has the potential to delay the spread of COVID-19.
- Encourage employees to wash their hands
- If employees are in the workplace (or even if they aren’t!) it is best to remind them to wash their hands. The CDC recommends that we wash our hands “often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.” If employees are unable to wash their hands, they should use a “hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol”. Hands should be cleaned as often as possible.
- Discourage handshaking
- Germs are easily spread through touch, so it should be no surprise that shaking hands with others can encourage the spread of disease (especially if employees are not following the guidance of #5 above!). By discouraging your employees from shaking hands, you can help stop the potential for disease to spread. At this point in time, employees are likely very aware of the seriousness of COVID-19, so there shouldn’t be much objection to the idea of forgoing a few handshakes for the time being.
About Omada Search
Omada Search is a boutique executive recruiting firm dedicated to serving middle market manufacturing and distribution clients in the Carolinas. Omada specializes in Accounting, Finance and Operations. For further information on Omada, please visit www.omadasearch.com .
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2020/03/8-questions-employers-should-ask-about-coronavirus
