The pandemic saw more than 48 million Americans getting infected by the virus. While the majority experienced mild symptoms of the virus, many needed hospitalizations after they experience severe symptoms after contracting the virus.
Due to this, business owners need to know how they can help their employees in case they catch the virus. And even though around 60 percent of the total population got vaccinated, the emergence of new variants of the virus still put the health of people at risk.
And if one of their employees gets infected, business owners can do the following things to help their employees with the situation.
Protect the Privacy of the Employee
Business owners should always protect the privacy of employees who test positive for the virus. Even though they will inform the other employees that someone got infected, business owners do not need to tell everyone who got the virus.
At this point, the business should focus on reducing the risk of the virus to the other employees. But they do not need to tell everyone who created the risk. They should not reveal any information about the health of the employee who got infected since state and federal laws protect their privacy.
Send the Employee Home
If the employee reported for work but does not need urgent care, the business should tell him to get in touch with a health provider. The employee should also go home and quarantine himself for 10 days. Even if the employee does not show any symptoms, he can spread the virus at the workplace.
And with the emergence of a highly-contagious variant of the virus, it’s a good idea to prevent the virus from spreading at the office. The business owner should also inform local authorities about the situation to ensure they are aware of the diagnosis.
The business should also monitor other employees who worked closely with the employee who tested positive for the virus. Testing them is also important to check if they also got the virus. And if they test positive, businesses should also advise the employees to quarantine themselves.
Clean and Disinfect the Areas the Employee Used
Businesses should clean and disinfect the areas used by employees who tested positive for the virus. They should follow the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cleaning and disinfecting these areas, especially areas that do not have suitable ventilation.
While cleaning these areas, businesses should open doors and windows. They should also increase circulation in these areas and use cleaning products recommended by the authorities. The person cleaning and disinfecting should also wear a mask and gloves. They should focus on the areas where the person stayed before he quarantined himself.
On the other hand, businesses do not need to disinfect or spray cleaning products in outdoor areas, such as sidewalks or walkways. Instead, they should focus on cleaning grab bars and railings in the premises of the business.
Provide Support for the Employee
Getting a positive result from a test has a considerable impact on a person. While many do not exhibit severe symptoms of the disease, others have to go to a hospital to recover. Businesses should make sure their employees get the best care possible, especially if they have health insurance for their employees.
In cases where the employee only needs to quarantine himself, businesses should help them find alternatives in case home quarantine is not possible due to limited space in the house.
Businesses should remember that if the other members of the family catch the virus, the employee will constantly think about taking care of his family. And this will affect his productivity at work. So, finding a place where the employee can quarantine himself is beneficial for both the employee and the business.
There are also instances when employees continue to feel the long-term effects of the virus. These effects include heart issues, breathing difficulties, and chronic kidney impairment. In these situations, the business should support their employees, especially if they cannot go back to work due to their condition.
The business should also help the employee with his long-term disability claims if the virus has long-term effects on his health. In these instances, the business can connect the employee to a lawyer who specializes in these cases to increase his chances of getting the benefits he deserves to get due to his condition. Once the employee receives the benefits, the business can rest easy knowing that it helped its employee.
The pandemic has a considerable effect on the health of employees. So, businesses need to help them if they get infected by the virus.