MAINTAINING HEALTHY BUSINESS OPERATIONS

• Identify a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues and their impact at the workplace and implement flexible sick leave and supportive policies and practices.

• Ensure that sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance, and that employees are aware of and understand these policies.

• Maintain flexible policies that permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member or take care of children due to school and childcare closures. Additional flexibilities might include giving advances on future sick leave and allowing employees to donate sick leave to each other.

• Employers that do not currently offer sick leave to some or all of their employees may want to draft nonpunitive ‘emergency sick leave’ policies.

• Employers should not require a positive COVID-19 test result or a healthcare provider’s note for employees who are sick to validate their illness, qualify for sick leave, or to return to work. Healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.

• Assess your essential functions and the reliance that others and the community have on your services or products.

• Be prepared to change your business practices if needed to maintain critical operations (e.g., identify alternative suppliers, prioritise existing customers, or temporarily suspend some of your operations).

• Identify alternate supply chains for critical goods and services as some may be in higher demand or unavailable.

• Talk with companies that provide your business with contract or temporary employees about the importance of sick employees staying home, and encourage them to develop non-punitive leave policies.

• Talk with business partners about your response plans. Share best practices with other businesses in your communities (especially those in your supply chain), chambers of commerce, and associations to improve community response efforts.