The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alert regarding the Coronavirus Disease, entitled Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), February 2020.
This Interim Guidance (“Guidance”) is based on what is currently known
about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The CDC will update this Guidance
as needed and as additional information becomes available.
Read the CDC's Guidance HERE.
Read the CDC's Guidance HERE.
Unfortunately, much is unknown about how the virus that causes COVID-19
spreads. Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar
coronaviruses.
The Guidance is meant to help prevent workplace exposures to acute
respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The
guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread,
community outbreaks of COVID-19.
Lenders Compliance Group is willing to help!
Lenders Compliance Group is willing to help!
At this time, we suggest that you review your Disaster Recovery and
Business Continuity Plan (“DRBC”), as the impact, features, factors, procedures, and policy requirements relating to COVID-19
should be set forth therein. The plan should include the CDC’s recommended strategies for
employers to implement.
Due to this emergency, if you need help with your DRBC, Lenders Compliance Group is offering to provide its DRBC review, assessment, risk rating, recommendations, and policy at a 20% discount from our already low fee. If the cost is a bit tough to manage, we will give you an affordable payment plan. Avoid the manual mills, one-size-fits-all, and fill-in-the-blanks versions. The DRBC must be customized to your institution to be effective and meet regulatory scrutiny!
To request support with your DRBC, click HERE.
Due to this emergency, if you need help with your DRBC, Lenders Compliance Group is offering to provide its DRBC review, assessment, risk rating, recommendations, and policy at a 20% discount from our already low fee. If the cost is a bit tough to manage, we will give you an affordable payment plan. Avoid the manual mills, one-size-fits-all, and fill-in-the-blanks versions. The DRBC must be customized to your institution to be effective and meet regulatory scrutiny!
To request support with your DRBC, click HERE.
EMPLOYER ACTIONS
- Ensure the plan is flexible and involve your employees in developing and reviewing your plan.
- Conduct a focused discussion or exercise using your plan to find out ahead of time whether the plan has gaps or problems that need to be corrected.
- Share your plan with employees and explain what human resources policies, workplace and leave flexibilities, and pay and benefits will be available to them.
- 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.
Response
Plan
There are
numerous actions that must be implemented now.
Do not wait!
Time is not on your
side!
- Identify possible work-related exposure and health risks to your employees.
- Review human resources policies to make sure that policies and practices are consistent with public health recommendations and are consistent with existing state and federal workplace laws.
- Explore whether you can establish policies and practices, such as flexible worksites (i.e., telecommuting) and flexible work hours (i.e., staggered shifts), to increase the physical distance among employees and between employees and others if state and local health authorities recommend the use of social distancing strategies.
- Identify essential business functions, essential jobs or roles, and critical elements within your supply chains (i.e., raw materials, suppliers, subcontractor services/products, and logistics) required to maintain business operations.
- Plan for how your business will operate if there is increasing absenteeism or these supply chains are interrupted.
- Set up authorities, triggers, and procedures for activating and terminating the company’s infectious disease outbreak response plan, altering business operations (i.e., possibly changing or closing operations in affected areas), and transferring business knowledge to key employees.
- Plan to minimize exposure between employees and also between employees and the public, if public health officials call for social distancing.
- Establish a process to communicate information to employees and business partners on your infectious disease outbreak response plans and latest COVID-19 information.
- Anticipate employee fear, anxiety, rumors, and misinformation, and plan communications accordingly.
- In some communities, early childhood programs and K-12 schools may be dismissed, particularly if COVID-19 worsens. Determine how you will operate if absenteeism spikes from increases in sick employees, those who stay home to care for sick family members, and those who must stay home to watch their children if dismissed from school.
- Local conditions will influence the decisions that public health officials make regarding community-level strategies; employers should take the time now to learn about plans in place in each community where they have a business.
- If there is evidence of a COVID-19 outbreak in the US, consider canceling non-essential business travel to additional countries per travel guidance on the CDC website.
- Travel restrictions may be enacted by other countries which may limit the ability of employees to return home if they become sick while on travel status.
- Consider cancelling large work-related meetings or events.
- Engage state and local health departments to confirm channels of communication and methods for dissemination of local outbreak information.
