As employees start returning to work the majority of employers are shifting their focus to initiatives to keep them safe. According to the latest COVID-19 pulse survey by Willis Towers Watson nearly 40% of employers expect enhancing programs and actions around employee safety to be a priority over the next six months. The last time this survey was ran in April only 27% of employers expected safety programs to be an important priority.
Though so far Michigan has not experienced a hard resurgence of Coronavirus like Florida and Texas, it has also not seen a significant reduction in cases and is starting to see an uptick in daily cases.
According to a new Korn Ferry survey, even when they are cleared to do so, many professionals say they will not be going back to the office, with half saying they are afraid to return.
OSHA recently released guidelines for implementing social distancing in the workplace. Employees must maintain six feet distance between themselves at all times – sometimes easier said than done.
In the office or factory setting, people will be moving, meeting, or just hanging out by the water cooler. Work, where people spend more waking time in their lives than any other place, is a social hub. So how will employers deal with the physical distancing and mask wearing required in today’s new work site?
Companies are looking for ways to make the workplace as safe as possible, and the concept of screening employees for COVID-19 has become part of the workday. What should you consider when evaluating screening methods?
Although EO 2020-115 states that employees that are able to work remote should remain doing so, many office buildings are beginning to reopen. But there are safety precautions to be aware of after a building has been closed for an extended period of time. The CDC has published COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings guidance.
On Monday the Governor moved to reopen that state by rescinding the stay-at-home order. Most businesses except for a few may now open by June 8th if not before (EO 2020-110). In the last week the state and federal agencies have moved to set up further reopening actions for employers.
Michigan is beginning its phased approach to reopening and is now in phase 4. Employers will be busy this summer as they return to work. It will be important to remain compliant with all COVID-19 legislation and health and safety guidelines. Below are some items to consider as workplaces open.
Although employers will be implementing many new safety and health practices in the coming weeks and months, there will also be employee relations challenges as a result. Some employees will come back believing that wearing a face mask at work is a request not a requirement. Some may even take rules requiring wearing a face mask as a political challenge or an afront to their personal liberties. Employers will need to be ready to communicate why the employee cannot ignore or refuse to comply...
Moving forward through the COVID-19 pandemic will be a drawn-out process. If your firm has not drafted or revised your handbook to strengthen its existing policies, the following sample provides a basic policy that can be edited to your organization’s specific program and practice.
New research from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) offers a warning to U.S. employers about the psychological effects of COVID-19. Although millions are currently laid off, many workers have continued to work through the pandemic and are feeling stressed.
Under OSHA guidelines and the tacit approval of the EEOC, when bringing employees back to work, employers may monitor employee temperatures. To do so, employers are considering options ranging from standard thermometer guns to more sophisticated social-distancing and heat-detection cameras, some of which are paired with facial-recognition software that security officials can use to track and identify employees who may show symptoms of COVID-19.
The biggest fear for employers is what to do if an employee who came back to work is later diagnosed with COVID-19. Are employers liable for these situations?