The key to staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is to make sure all your employees are aware of best practices and company policies.
The key to staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is to make sure all employees are aware of best practices and company policies, and everyone understands their role in protecting not just themselves but their colleagues as well as their communities.
When safety measures and company policies are communicated clearly and thoroughly understood by employees, they feel safer to participate and are more engaged in their responsibility and accountability in the fight against COVID-19.
Here are some basic steps you can take to ensure your employees are aware of and understand the steps your organization is taking to manage the COVID-19 crisis, and any possible risks:
- Make sure you’ve put a team or committee in charge of communication and awareness of COVID-19. This team should be a part of a broader committee or task force dedicated to COVID-19 practices in your organization.
- Design a simple training and preparedness workshop for employees to explain the company’s response, how to prepare, and any new company policies aimed at preventing exposures.
- Display posters, signs and guidelines in the workplace that remind employees of steps and measures to take for infection prevention. This guidance should include topics like hygiene, symptoms, company-specific policies, what to do if you are sick, etc.
- Make sure you have posters and signs related, but not limited to:
- Hand-Washing
- Distancing (social distancing, physical distancing, and standing six feet apart)
- Coronavirus Symptoms
- Coronavirus Prevention Tips
- Company Policies on Coronavirus
- Consider sending a survey to employees after training to see if there are any gaps in the employee’s knowledge or any employee concerns and adjust as needed.
- Keep an open channel internally as well as reminding employees of external public assistance hotlines and contact details to voice out any concerns or questions, or for immediate assistance in cases of emergency.