WORKPLACE SAFETY
Directly notify any coworkers or
customers whom the ill employee
had been in contact with. Be sure to
remain calm and let them know that
someone they have been in contact
with or has been in their physical work
area has tested positive for COVID-19.
Recommend that they should selfquarantine
for the next 14 days and
monitor themselves for the symptoms
of COVID-19. If feasible, allow eligible
employees to work from home during
this time.
Be sure to notify the rest of the
company by email or letter that an
employee has tested positive for
COVID-19. Remember to keep the
employee’s identity protected and
be transparent about your response.
The communication should include
what steps your company will be
taking to protect the health of other
employees. If you plan on having
employees work from home for the
next 14 days or closing the office, this
information should be disclosed in the
communication.
DISINFECTING THE OFFICE
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, COVID-19
can remain on hard surfaces for up to
12 hours, creating a potential risk of
transmission. Depending on the size
of your organization, you may want to
consider closing the office for a few days
so that it can be thoroughly cleaned
and disinfected. All surfaces that the
infected employee may have touched
should be disinfected, as well as other
high-touch surfaces, which include
countertops, cabinets, doorknobs,
handles, and chairs.
EVALUATING LEAVE POLICIES
Employers need to evaluate what their
next steps will be. For some, this may
involve shutting down their office. For
others, this may mean asking employees
to work from home until further notice.
Each business is unique and should
make the best decision for their unique
needs. Should your company decide
to shut down, you will need to review
your leave policies. Consider asking
employees to use their sick leave or
paid time off if you are shutting down
the office. You should also be aware
of provisions included in the newly
instituted federal leave act, the Families
First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA),
should you need to close the office or
if employees opt to take leave due to
COVID-19.
The FFCRA—signed into law by
President Trump on March 18, 2020—
requires certain employers to provide
employees with expanded family and
medical leave for specified reasons
related to COVID-19, which would apply
from April 1, 2020, through December
31, 2020.
The paid sick leave and expanded
family and medical leave provisions
of the FFCRA apply to certain public
employers, and private employers with
fewer than 500 employees. Certain
provisions may not apply to certain
employers with fewer than 50 employees.
Small businesses with fewer than 50
employees may qualify for an exemption
from the requirement to provide leave
due to school closings or child care
unavailability if the leave requirements
would jeopardize the viability of the
business as a going concern.
Depending on the reason for the leave,
employees will be eligible for differing
lengths and amounts of paid leave. In
addition, under the FFCRA, an employee
qualifies for expanded family and medical
leave if the employee is caring for a child
whose school or place of care is closed
(or child care provider is unavailable) for
reasons related to COVID-19.
Generally, the FFCRA provides that
employees of covered employers are eligible
for:
• two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid
sick leave at the employee’s regular
rate of pay where the employee is
unable to work because the employee
is quarantined (pursuant to federal,
state, or local government order or
advice of a health care provider), and/
or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
and seeking a medical diagnosis;
• two weeks (up to 80 hours) of paid
sick leave at two-thirds the employee’s
regular rate of pay because the
employee is unable to work because
of a bona fide need to care for an
individual subject to quarantine
(pursuant to federal, state, or local
government order or advice of a
health care provider), or to care for a
child (under 18 years of age) whose
school or child care provider is closed
or unavailable for reasons related to
COVID-19; and
• up to an additional 10 weeks of paid
expanded family and medical leave at
two-thirds the employee’s regular rate
of pay where an employee, who has
been employed for at least 30 calendar
days, is unable to work due to a bona
fide need for leave to care for a child
whose school or child care provider
is closed or unavailable for reasons
related to COVID-19. +
BY: CONOR MORAN, CLCS
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT
JGS INSURANCE
Conor Moran is a lifelong resident of Monmouth County and graduate of Christian Brothers
Academy. Conor is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a degree in Business. Conor
prides himself on providing excellent customer service ensuring his clients receive the best
insurance products to suit their ever-changing needs. Conor loves to travel and experience new
and different cultures. Closer to home, Conor enjoys spending his free time with his family and
friends at the beautiful Jersey Shore.
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