If the pandemic has taught businesses one thing, it is the importance of adaptability and community. Our ability to change and respond to new challenges has been put to the test nearly monthly, as new business protocols and safety measures become the new normal. Most importantly, this pandemic has also taught us—as individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities—that our actions have consequences far beyond our circles.
That’s why, as the owner of a start-up in Salt Lake City, I wanted to find out what my business and others could do to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
I reached out to my local public health official, and she gave me a number of tips and changes to make across my company. I learned that a large portion of businesses are struggling to understand public health processes and goals; and, if HR and legal departments had a better understanding, this partnership could be hugely beneficial to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Based on my discussion, here are three ways HR officers can help safeguard their workforces and communities from the impact of COVID-19 and experience a more positive working relationship with public health officials:
- Be transparent about how public health officials will be involved: HR officers are crucial to understanding and communicating the role public health departments will play in safeguarding employees during this pandemic and into the future. Help your leaders and employees understand what personal information (name, birthdate, contact info) will be shared with public health officials if they contract COVID-19 and how that information will be used. Public health officials assure that it will only be used internally to track the contraction and spread. The best way to do this might be to create and distribute a COVID-19 communication plan so all employees understand the process if they contract the virus and how the public health office will be involved.
- Help create a COVID-safe company culture: Because no one knows how long masks and physical distancing will need to remain, public health officials are begging HR departments to step up in creating a company culture that embraces these new habits. Work with employers to analyze desk arrangements, traffic flow, entrances and exits, and other ways to reduce physical congregating at work. Then, come up with fun, lasting ways to make masks and physical distancing less of a burden and more of a cultural change.
- Take responsibility, and be proactive about contact tracing: For the unforeseeable future, public health departments are overwhelmed with a number of responsibilities—from contact tracing to running testing sites and more—so officials have asked companies to be prepared to conduct their own contact tracing. This can be incredibly time-consuming and could even require a full-time employee, as businesses will need to dedicate resources to contact trace each and every case. Some companies are investing in apps or Wi-Fi-based contact tracing software that allows them to accelerate and continue contact tracing in an automated way. No matter how your business decides to engage in contact tracing, it is something your HR department needs to be aware of and prepared for.
A new year always brings a renewed energy for positive change. For HR officers, these few simple changes could be the difference between keeping your office open and safe and dealing with COVID hot spots, office closures, and communitywide spread. If you haven’t already, reach out to a public health official in your area to understand how you can better work together in 2021.