Under the title “Guidance for Employees Going Back to Work,” officials at Midland Development Corp., an economic development organization, offer advice on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, including developing a team-spirit attitude.
“Working together with a proactive attitude and methodology toward enhancing workplace safety is critical,” the organization’s website says.
The advice offered on June 24 stresses that employees should expect their employer to promote a safe workplace and suggested following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Work shifts and tasks could be adjusted using the CDC procedures to maintain the proper cleanliness and distancing in the workplace, the web article advises.
Frequent cleaning of hands, covering coughs, cleaning of surfaces, maintaining social distancing and reducing close contact with others are listed as priorities.
If an employee feels that their employer is deliberately flouting the establishing of safe workplace procedures, the guidance advises the employee to report the matter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The Midland Corp. recommendations also warn that stress caused by the pandemic can lead workers into bad habits such as overeating junk food, neglecting exercise and failing to get enough sleep. An exhausted employee is more apt to get the virus and take longer to recover from it, the warning stated.
Finding child care for workers returning to work could be an obstacle, the web advice says, but a national organization, Child Care Aware, has been set up to assist.
The guidance advises that once a workplace reopens, employees must return to work if they are able to do or face possible loss of unemployment benefits. However, the advice added that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects workers with disabilities from discrimination because of a disability, and the employee has a right to request reasonable, safe workplace accommodations. These can include working from home, paid sick leave, and revolving schedules to allow for social distancing.
If a business is unable to provide a safe environment, the employee is entitled to unemployment benefits, the Midland Corp. guidance said.