The COVID-19 pandemic raises challenging issues for employers, particularly those that have multiple locations, provide a variety of services, and employ a global workforce that may travel routinely for business.

With increasing quarantine and other lock-down requirements appearing across the globe, what should employers be doing now to support the health and safety of their workforces?

An employer’s first priority is to protect the health and safety of its workforce. Recognize that this is unlikely to be a one-time occurrence. Being prepared now will allow employers to iterate in the future.

(1) Understand employer obligations in each affected jurisdiction (which will change).

• Review applicable government health alerts and requirements for reporting.
• Review local laws on employee privacy, association, potential for discrimination and leave/benefit/wage & hour entitlements. Remember that the balance between privacy and public health is achieved differently in different countries, but as viruses spread, those restrictions are often relaxed. For instance, primarily due to data privacy laws, employers in most of the EU generally may not notify health authorities that an employee has been infected.
• Coordinate internally to develop employee communications and plans. Frequent communications with employees and their families is critical. Keeping in contact with official or governmental bodies such as the US State Department or the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is essential to ensure the latest updates are available and to ensure employees are aware of any national contingency plans.

Continue Reading Pandemic Pause — Are you taking the right actions to protect your workplace?