COVID-19—The Resurgence

Workplace safety guidelines from federal, state and local authorities are rapidly changing in response to the highly transmittable COVID-19 Delta variant, and employers may want to update their policies accordingly. Significantly, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors if they are in locations with high or substantial COVID-19 transmission rates. Employers may consider reinstituting mask requirements if they are in affected areas.
 
In mid-June, the CDC reported an average of about 12,000 new COVID-19 cases each day, but the rate recently surpassed 40,000 a day on average. "An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations and potentially more deaths," according to the CDC. The agency said that vaccines are the best protection against variants. 

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But news about the spike in cases—as well as the potential for breakthrough cases for the fully vaccinated—has caused some fears to resurface in the workplace. So what should employers do? Here are some tips to be proactive:
 

• Look back to your previous protocols relating to COVID-19 and follow those as they apply. You many need to implement many of the procedures you once had in place to ensure worker safety.
• Stay up-to-date on changing mandates from state and local governments and recommendations from industry groups. Like before, new guidelines will be released quickly.
• Be prepared to respond to more requests to work from home and explore reasonable accommodations for workers who have disability-related concerns. Given that only about half of the country has been vaccinated, nonvaccinated employees may have fears about coming back to work.
• Implement a mask mandate for unvaccinated workers or for all workers in the workplace. Unvaccinated people are seemingly becoming sicker than those who are vaccinated, especially with the new Delta variant.
• Consider delaying return to work plans. No need to rush back to the office with rising infection rates. Slow and steady wins the race.

 
Some of the best advice is to encourage workers to get vaccinated and educate them on the vaccine. The impact of the Delta variant has been somewhat effective in persuading people to get the shot, and employers can use this surge as an opportunity to educate their workforce on the benefits of vaccination. Furthermore, communicate that people should NOT come to work if they are sick or experiencing COVID-like symptoms. Cold and flu season is around the corner and employers will want to ensure they are keeping the workplace safe and productive.

 
Adapted from SHRM