Recommendations for employers during quarantine
1. Ensure that you have the right conditions in place to support teleworking. All employers are advised to review their teleworking policies to ensure that they are up to date and serve the overall objective. Workers who do not normally work from home should be provided with the necessary technical and other support. If teleworking is not possible, it is recommended that all necessary materials and tools be provided to prevent contagion, such as masks, hand sanitizer, and organizing schedules to avoid crowds. In this regard, it is also important to establish flexible work schedules.
2. Support your team. It is very common for COVID-19 to cause a lot of stress and anxiety among employees, so employers must be alert and communicate with staff about how to alleviate these symptoms so that they feel supported. For your part, it is ideal to be able to provide clear and precise guidance about the company's present and future vision.
3. Make decisions regarding how to deal with different types of quarantine:
- Quarantine ordered by the National Government due to a positive diagnosis of COVID-19.
- Quarantine recommended by the National Government, for example, when an individual shows symptoms but has not been diagnosed, or when returning to the country.
- Self-isolation directed by workers due to symptoms or special circumstances, for example, pregnancy or an underlying health condition.
4. Establish a crisis management team to coordinate efforts and define objectives.In this regard, it is important to regularly consult with employees about daily progress to ensure that they are on track to meet their goals.
5. Express confidence. "There needs to be trust between people who work remotely and those in management roles, as well as between all colleagues, in order to achieve an effective work strategy" (John Messenger).
