COVID-19 Policy for your workplace
Our friends at Employment Hero have provided a policy for how we as business owners can best manage COVID-19 and help protect our teams, our clients and ourselves.
COVID-19 Policy
The intent of this Plan is not to alarm anyone or cause panic. This is a plan in the event of an employee being diagnosed with COVID-19 and following our Business Continuity Plan
In January 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease in Hubei Province, China to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
WHO stated there is a high risk of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading to other countries around the world. The disease has the potential to drive significant business and operational impact on us as employees of “insert your company name here”.
It is critical that we have a clear plan and lines of communications with you as our employees, as well as clients and third-party entities.
Our guiding principles as we continue to move forward:
1. Keep “insert your company name here” employees safe
2. Continue to serve our customers with the highest standards
3. Do our part to slow community spread of the virus where there appear to be outbreaks, so that the most vulnerable people are able to get the care they need
How COVID-19 spreads
Let’s start with the World Health Organisation’s information about the spread of CVID-19.
When someone who has COVID-19 coughs or exhales they release droplets of infected fluid. Most of these droplets fall on nearby surfaces and objects – such as desks, tables or telephones. People could catch COVID-19 by touching contaminated surfaces or objects – and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. If they are standing within one meter of a person with COVID-19 they can catch it by breathing in droplets coughed out or exhaled by them.
In other words, COVID-19 spreads in a similar way to the flu. Most persons infected with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms and recover. However, some go on to experience more serious illness and may require hospital care. Risk of serious illness rises with age: people over 40 seem to be more vulnerable than those under 40. People with weakened immune systems and people with conditions such as diabetes, heart and lung disease are also more vulnerable to serious illness.
The following checklist is our guidelines in the case that you as an employee suspect you may have COVID-19. Or, that a family member has become infected with COVID-19, a household member or anyone you have been in contact with.
What if I suspect I have symptoms of COVID-19?
● It is important that you stay away from work if you have only mild symptoms or have had to take simple medications (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofen) which may mask the symptoms
● We need to take every precaution to not spread a possible case of COVID-19
● If you have symptoms and suspect you may have COVID-19 - see you nearest emergency hospital for testing, or call your local GP as many pathologists are now able to test for COVID-19
● Notify your manager, manager’s manager or people culture through slack, a text message, phone call or email
What if I am diagnosed with COVID-19?
● Notify you manager, or manager’s manager or People & Culture
● Follow all medical advice to recover from your infection a soon as possible
● Once cleared from the infection (being given the all-clear from a medical professional) - you are to self-isolate and work-from-home for a period of 14 days
What if a Family Member or Household Member is diagnosed with COVID-19?
● Notify your manager, or manager’s manager or People & Culture
● You are to self-isolate and work-from-home for 14 days
● If you are a carer of an infected family member/dependant, please enter your Carer’s Leave into Employment Hero and let your manager know
● You should monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days and take your temperature twice a day
● If you develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 37.3 C or more) you should stay at home and self-isolate. You should also telephone your healthcare provider or the local public health department, giving them details of your symptoms. You may be asked to go to your nearest hospital to be tested
What if I have recently travelled to an area with known cases of COVID-19?
● You must work-from-home for 14 days and self isolate or longer as prescribed
● Notify your manager and follow our work-from-home policy along with guidelines set out below
● If you have returned from an area where COVID-19 is spreading you should monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days and take your temperature twice a day
● If you develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 37.3 C or more) you should stay at home and self-isolate. This means avoiding close contact (one meter or nearer) with other people, including family members. You should also telephone your healthcare provider or the local public health department, giving them details of their recent travel and symptoms
What if an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19?
● You and the entire company will be notified immediately by a member of the leadership team (by slack and email)
● “insert your office location(s)” will be closed for a minimum of 14 days or as prescribed
● “insert your office location(s)” will undergo comprehensive health certified cleaning of the entire premises
● Every employee will work-from-home until notified that our office is open
● Make sure you have completed our Work-From-Home Agreement and uploaded it into your uploaded documents section in your employee file
● You should monitor yourself for symptoms for 14 days and take your temperature twice a day
● We will ask you to submit a list of anyone you have had contact with in the past 14 days at “insert your office location(s)” to your manager (clients, candidates, friends)
● Please notify anyone in your personal life that your work has had a case of COVID-19 - anyone you have had contact with should also self isolate themselves and monitor themselves for symptoms
● If you have symptoms follow the above advice on calling your closest healthcare professionals who will advise you on next steps
● If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 yourself, notify your manager, enter your leave and follow all medical advice to recover as soon as possible
● To make working from home as productive as possible we have outlined guidelines below, in the case that we shut down “insert your office location(s)” for a period of time
“insert your office location(s)” Closure: Working-From-Home Guidelines:
● You will operate as business-as-usual
● We are fortunate to have all the technology and cloud systems to support working-from-home
● You will log-on to slack each morning
● It is your responsibility to keep your slack status up-to-date (for example if you grab lunch, update your slack status & update your status again when you return to working)
● You will continue to have your team meetings; weekly huddles; 1-1 meetings as needed through meet-up or via slack video
● Working From Home Checklist
“insert your office location(s)” Closure: Employee FAQs:
● What if an email or slack alert occurs overnight and my laptop is at the office:
○ In the above circumstance, the email and slack notification will include instructions with a timeframe on collecting your laptop. You will be expected to come to the office to collect your laptop. If you already have a laptop at home that you can use, let us know that you will not be needing to come in and collect your laptop
● Can I take my large monitor home?
○ If you are at the office when an alert closing the office occurs, you may take your monitor with you
○ It is your responsibility to maintain the monitor and return it once the office opens again
○ If the office is closed when an alert comes through and you want your large monitor, you can collect it during the window that is outlined for the collection of laptops
● Can I come into the office if I left something there?
○ No
○ “insert your office location(s)” will be closed in the circumstance of an office shutdown. You will not be able to get into the office (this is for your own personal welfare and protection of your health)
Tips for working effectively from home
● Ensure your workspace is conducive to working
○ To be productive, you need an office environment that allows you to comfortably work and stay focused
● Schedule your day
○ A structured routine helps effectively manage tasks and stay on target for deadlines
○ A short planning session in the morning to map out your day can be very effective
● Track your Time
○ Be aware of how much time is spent not working.
○ What are you spending that time doing and how much does it detract from your work goals?
● Avoid checking personal email or visiting social networking sites during work hours
○ A serious distraction that can go by unnoticed - and cost you your day
● Stay Connected
○ It's easy to lose contact. Check-in with your immediate colleagues and team regularly throughout the day
○ Don’t forget family and friends, set aside time or use your breaks to call or email close contacts, stay in the loop
● Take regular breaks and “exercise”
○ Respite from your desk is important especially when you’re confined to your home. Best to schedule regular breaks
○ Staying active can be a challenge, especially cardio. Think stretching, Yoga, dips, lunges, natural resistance exercise