We're breaking down your questions: Your business and Coronavirus COVID-19

The CDC has published workplace guidelines to help with reopening your business safely for your staff and the public, click here for the worksheet answering the question "Should I reopen?" The CDC website is updated everyday at 12 noon. Thank you to The National Law Review for publishing the Reopening the Workplace Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic to help our businesses move forward safely.

Remember the CDC is making recommendations for safe habits. These are only recommendations, not a law. For the laws related to the coronavirus check in with your state government. Keep reading to get the scoop.

COVID-19 has created significant workplace challenges, as employers have had to restructure their workforces in light of the pandemic and governmental stay-at-home orders. However, as those orders are lifted and many employees begin their return to work, a new set of challenges and considerations must be addressed. It is vitally important for employers to establish a return to work plan unique to its business and workforce, being mindful of and ensuring compliance with the employer’s legal duties and obligations.

First and foremost, employers should stay informed and continue to monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Labor websites for the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and the necessary precautions to combat its spread. These organizations frequently update their websites, so employers should frequently monitor these websites.

Employers should also create and implement a safety plan in compliance with their obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), which generally requires all employers to provide a place of employment which is free from “recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” OSHA has specific guidelines for certain industries and types of jobs, and some states have more stringent safety requirements that should be consulted. In doing so, employers should consider some or all of the following: 

• Requiring the use of personal protective equipment including face masks, respiratory protection, goggles, gloves, and/or face shields.

• Implementing non-invasive employee screening, including temperature checks and symptom questionnaires when entering the workplace – keeping in mind confidentiality and retention obligations of the screening results.

• Requiring 6 feet social distancing wherever possible and installing barriers where social distancing is not possible.

• Continuing teleworking for certain employees or a percentage of the workforce if possible and modifying or staggering work schedules to help maintain physical distance among employees, including staggering breaks.

• Educating employees on handwashing hygiene and respiratory etiquette and providing hand sanitizer at strategic locations.

• Closing or limiting admission to common areas such as conference rooms and break rooms and limiting the amount of people in the bathroom at one time.

• Implementing a cleaning and sanitizing schedule of all common touchpoints and shared equipment like door handles, elevator buttons, copy machines, staplers, and water coolers.

• Restricting non-essential travel and/or requiring reporting of all travel (including personal travel) while reserving the right to impose quarantine restrictions on those who have traveled to certain hot spot areas.

• Limiting deliveries and visitors including customers and clients.

• This safety plan should be well documented and clearly communicated to employees, so they understand the precautions being taken and what is expected from them. 
• And of course, employees should be required to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and identify and isolate sick employees or employees who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

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