5 Tips To Prepare Employees For Coronavirus Outbreak

As the world continues to grapple with Covid-19 epidemic and India Inc is in a cold sweat over a lockdown with China, the effect of the epidemic is bound to be felt on sectors dependent on Chinese imports. The disease has also sparked concerns over the health of corporate professionals too with India reporting more than 70 confirmed cases of the novel virus. With the overall well-being of employees being the center stage of multinational corporations, it is imperative for them to ramp up the preparedness to any exigency. The onus of responsibility lies on HR professionals to provide accurate and timely information and guard against over-reaction.

1) Organize an awareness session: An awareness session should be organized for all employees informing them about the causes, the mode of transmission of coronavirus and precautions to be taken. It is also necessary to dispel common myths associated with the disease such as garlic or sesame oil being the cure for it. The session should be organized in collaboration with a prominent hospital and hosted by a relevant medical practitioner.

2) Re-evaluate sick leaves and work from the home policy: Encourage remote working for employees who suffer from cough or any upper-respiratory-tract infections. A steady line of communication should be maintained to facilitate this shift. Creating support groups with experienced remote-work employees and sharing best practices will ensure that regular workflow is maintained. Evaluate your sick and employee leave policies, including considering extended sick day allowances for employees.

3) Be vigilant about anti-discrimination practices: With China reporting the most cases of the novel virus, it is an obvious tendency of employees to avoid interaction with Chinese clients or employees. Employers should ensure that such disability discrimination is not practiced. Exposure to the virus rather than the ethnicity or nationality of an individual should determine the course of action.

4) Revisit workplace behavior: Counsel employees to cover their mouths while coughing and sneezing and avoid handshake for time-being. Common surfaces such as workstations, doorknobs, elevator buttons, surfaces in the cafeteria should be Sanitizing these surfaces will minimize the chances of spread of infection.

5) Limit international travel: As coronavirus continues to spread beyond China, corporates should limit all non-essential international travel especially to China and other countries such as Hong Kong, Italy, and Iran which have recorded a spike in confirmed cases. Skype meetings or telephonic calls should be an alternative to travel plans.

Since the epidemic has transcended borders leading to a dynamic situation, the HR team needs to provide guidance and direction to employees. Having a contingency plan in place can help proactively address concerns and uncertainty over the epidemic.