In these surreal and uncertain times, we thought you might like some help. Here are the key points when it comes to managing employees and your workplace during the COVID-19 crisis.

Your obligation

An employer has an obligation to ensure the health and safety of its workers by eliminating or minimising risks. That extends to an employer's response to COVID-19. However, it should be clear by now that this threat has broader community implications, particularly for the elderly or vulnerable and every business has a role to play in getting us all through these difficult times.

What you should do

Putting aside the debate over whether the Government is dragging its heels, employers need to get ahead of, and prepare for, the worsening crisis. While every business is different, practical measures can include:

  • Direct all employees to work from home;
  • Cease all internal and external face-to-face meetings;
  • Direct employees to take personal precautionary measures such as regularly washing hands and wiping surfaces, no more handshakes, and stop sharing office equipment or other items;
  • Stress test your IT system to see if it can sustain a large volume of working from home arrangements;
  • Direct employees to immediately inform you if they have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, such as friends or family;
  • Communicate. It may sound clichéd but talk to your staff. Naturally, everyone is a bit frightened at the moment. Knowing their employer understands this, is taking measures in response, and is planning for the worst, helps to ease some of the nerves.

An employee is sick or tests positive for COVID-19

If anyone is unwell or tests positive for COVID-19, immediately direct them to take personal leave. Don't hesitate. They need to leave the workplace. An employee should not return to work until they have a clean bill of health.

Anyone who has been in contact with an employee or anyone else who has COVID-19 should also be sent home and tested. This may lead to a full or part temporary close down.

Working from home arrangements can be utilised if practical but either way, keep paying your staff during the closedown.

Retrace the movements of any employee who is positive for COVID-19 over the previous two weeks and notify clients, suppliers, or anyone else the employee has been in contact with.

Travel arrangements

In light of recent travel restrictions and the possibility of a border closure, cease all international travel. Employees should also be asked not to book any personal overseas trips at the moment. For any staff who already have overseas holidays plan, talk to them about whether alternative arrangements can be made.

It also wouldn't hurt to cease all domestic business travel and encourage employees that now is not the best time to jump on a plane, no matter its destination.

Keep track of your employees' movements both domestic and abroad so you're in the best position to manage the risk as the virus spreads.

Managing quarantine

If an employee is subject to a mandatory quarantine, including under the recently introduced travel restrictions, they must comply and not attend work under any circumstance.

Working from home arrangements should be explored. Otherwise, while a quarantine under government direction may be treated as leave without pay, consider a compassionate approach during these difficult times, particularly for anyone who may have been caught offguard by the sudden travel restrictions.

An employee asks or needs to stay home

An employee may have their own reasons for wanting to stay home. Any request by an employee to remain home should be managed on a case-by-case basis. Employers should be conscious of employees' personal circumstances and responsibilities during the crisis including looking after grandparents and kids, particular in the context of a school or daycare shutdown. Any request to stay home can be explored through possible working from home arrangements or the use of annual leave, long service leave, or carers' leave, where applicable.

Stand down without pay

Yes, there is the ability to stand employees down without pay if, for reasons beyond the employer's control, the employees cannot be usefully employed. This extreme measure is reserved for extreme circumstances like a natural disaster. We're not there (yet) when it comes to COVID-19.

However, if your business is shut down under government direction (for example, schools or daycare shut down) or the country goes into a more severe form of lock down, a stand down without pay may be available. That said, considering the likely blowback from staff and the community in relation to sending employees home during a crisis without income, a stand down should only be used if no other options are available.

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