Is your business prepared to handle COVID-19 and the issues it presents?

Coronavirus has given us almost as many phases as the moon.  Each one comes with its own set of parameters that make business continuity tricky.  But one thing is clear: the more a business can define what their policies are for their employees and customers, the more peace of mind these policies can provide.  With updated Infection Control Plans that include specific COVID-19 Policies and Procedures, your business can remain able to weather any illness related storm.

So what comes first?  For starters, you need a way of accessing whether or not your employees are healthy both for the sake of your other team members as well as for your customers.  For us here at MPWRSource, our COVID-19 Policies and Procedures  include a checklist of items for all employees to consider when/if they come into the office.  Most of us here have solely worked from home since March, however, when we must meet with clients in person, this is the checklist we employ.

By asking these simple questions as part of your COVID-19 Policies and Procedures, you can ascertain the risk each employee poses in contracting an infection, particularly COVID-19, thus being more apt to be able to assure everyone in your workplace—be they employee, client, or vendor—that you are being as COVID-19 Policies and Procedures precautious as possible.  However, if you want employees to answer these questions honestly, they must feel secure in their jobs. If I have a tummy ache but am concerned I might lose my job if I do not come into work, then I might pump myself up with some Pepto and keep my mouth shut. After all, that tummy ache could be from those 7 tacos I had for lunch. But I don’t know.  I am not a doctor.  (BUT CLEARLY I HAVE A QUESO ADDICTION.)

This questionnaire is also accompanied by the following procedures:

• Place mask on BEFORE entering the building
• Have temperature taken and recorded
• Enter work area only after being cleared by screener

Based upon the findings of the questionnaire, one of two things will happen: the healthy employee will work happily in their mask, resting assured that COVID-19 risks have been mitigated OR the employee will be sent home.

Wait.  What?  Yes.  If an  employee has a fever of over 99.8 or answers positively to any of the questions on the questionnaire, the employee will be sent home.  The screener will contact their point of contact, most likely the Chief Compliance Officer or a doctor, to determine which “yesses” on the questionnaire require follow up.  For us, questions related to the signs and symptoms will require a COVID test and employee self-isolation until test results return.  If it truly is just too much dairy from the tacos, most likely I will be allowed to return to work in the morning.

In fact, at MPWRSource and our sister companies, pim and CentraVance, have COVID-19 PTO.  Regular PTO is your standard PTO that is accrued and based upon position, length of employment, etc.  When an employee schedules PTO now, that employee will have a brief conversation to discuss where the vacation is taking place and what the current COVID landscape is in that area.  Ways to mitigate risk will be discussed and if an employee chooses to travel to a COVID hotspot, whether or not that employee should self-quarantine and use their COVID-PTO will be discussed.  For employees who work from home, the need to self-quarantine is obviously nil.  But for team members who do interact with other employees and clients face to face (or, mask to mask as it were), the employee may be requested to either work from home or use their COVID-PTO.

COVID-PTO is a one time deal.  Unlike regular PTO, you cannot roll it over or “bank” it from year to year. Additionally, it won’t be paid out to you should you terminate your employment. COVID-PTO is put in place to accommodate for following Covid-19 protocols and to provide job security for team members.  An employee can have the freedom to know they can answer honestly to the questionnaire without having to worry about losing their vacation time.  That day they were sent home will come from their two weeks of COVID-PTO.

So how will an employee know they can return to work?

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures include a return to work protocol. Our return to work protocol for  an employee after their vacation is as follows:

Employees will chat with CCO regarding the risks they encountered during vacation.  That employee will work from home (where available) for 7 days.  They will be tested for Covid-19 on the 7^th or 8^th day.  They can return to work based upon the test results. For employees who decline the information session with CCO, they will use their COVID-PTO and self-isolate for 14 days. Employees can absolutely decide to decline meeting with the CCO, then they will have to self-isolate or work from home.  The one risk is that those 14 days of COVID-PTO granted will then be used up and should that employee then get sick withCOVID later, they will have to use their regular PTO or apply for short or long term disability based upon their sickness and its complications.

In addition to having policies in place to respond to a team member’s need for time off related to COVID, we also have added the following procedures to our pandemic plan.

So what do some of these items mean?

Cleaning & Disinfecting Policy: 

For employees that work in the office, each employee will sanitize their work station both at the beginning and end of their shift with provided OSHA approved cleaning materials.

Employee Empowerment:

Employees who express discomfort in situations will be supported and affirmed by their supervisors.  For example, if an employee meets with a client and the client is not following social distancing measures and is not wearing a mask, the employee has every right and is encouraged to remove themselves from any and all situations they deem to put them at risk.

Visual Reminders:

This includes flyers in bathrooms on correct handwashing procedure and reminders to wear a mask when entering establishments.

Testing for Employees when needed:

MPWRSource has a contract with a doctor’s office to provide COVID-19 testing for employees.

By making sure that you have identified possible risks and bad outcomes that could disrupt your business continuity because of COVID-19, you can provide peace of mind to your staff and your customers.  Fortune always favors the prepared.