Employers and employees have a crucial role to play in stopping COVID -19 and reducing the impact of the disease on society. A key area of EPI-WIN’s work focuses on how to create a COVID-safe workplace and prevent transmission of the disease between employees through the following measures:

  •  Implement remote work practices (tele-working)
  •  Social distancing measures in the workplace when on-site presence is required (at least 1 metre)
  • Hold fewer in- person meetings
  • Restrict the number of visitors entering the workplace
  • Limit travel beyond non-essential travel
  • Ensure people with symptoms or with family members with symptoms self-quarantine for 14 days
  • Check the body temperature of employees daily so that employees with fever don’t come to work
  • Facilitate access to reliable information for employees to promote understanding of the disease and its symptoms and the personal preventative measures (respiratory etiquette, hand washing, self-isolation if sick)
  • Check and follow the advice from the authorities in the community before holding a meeting or event;
    follow all necessary precautions, protective and self-isolation measures, should a meeting go ahead.

Maintain a safe and healthy work environment

  • Develop a business continuity plan
  • Develop a contingency and business continuity plan for an outbreak in the communities where your business operates and for when your employees return to work during or after COVID-19 according to national and local health authorities.
  • Promote regular and thorough hand washing by employees, contractors and customers, as well as good respiratory hygiene.
  • Clean workspaces frequently with disinfectant including high risk areas/space (e.g. door handle, reception counter, elevators, disinfection of working stations of COVID-19 cases)
  • Provide alcohol-based gel or washing hands stations
  • Establish a reporting system for any cases among employees
  • Establish a system to quarantine close contacts of a suspect or confirmed case among the employees
  • Ensure good ventilation
  • Develop a food delivery system that reduces contacts with food deliverers and avoid employee lines
  • Ensure psycho-social support of employees during the pandemic. Incorporate mental health resources into human resources policies. Your employees may be suffering from emotional distress during this period; and may also suffer distress when experiencing changes like returning to work.

World Health Organization. 2020