Prepare your Small Business and Employees for the Effects of COVID-19
During an infectious disease outbreak, such as the current outbreak of COVID-19, small business owners must prepare for disruption in their business, as well as their employees’ health and safety. The following steps are recommended to protect employees and prepare your business:
- Identify a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues and their impact at the workplace
- Examine policies for leave, telework, and employee compensation that are flexible and nonpunitive
- Review your leave policies with all employees and provide information about available employee assistance services
- Identify essential employees and business functions and critical inputs such as raw materials, suppliers, subcontractor services/products, and logistics required to maintain business operations
- Prepare business continuity plans for significant absenteeism, supply chain disruptions, or changes in the way you need to conduct business
- Establish an emergency communications plan, including identifying key contacts, chain of communications, and processes for tracking and communicating about business and employee status
- Share your response plans with employees and clearly communicate expectations
Healthy employees are crucial to a healthy business. Here are 10 ways you can help protect them:
- Actively encourage sick employees to stay home
- Develop policies for scheduling and telework (if possible), and create leave policies
- Promote etiquette for coughing, sneezing, and handwashing
- Perform routine environmental cleaning
- Provide education and training materials
- Have conversations with employees about their concerns
- Talk with companies that provide your business with contract or temporary employees about their plans
- Plan to implement practices to minimize face-to-face contact between employees
- Consider the need for travel and explore alternatives
- If an employee becomes sick at work, separate them from others and send them home immediately
For more detailed guidance, please refer to the CDC guidelines for small businesses and employees.
