Coronavirus Outbreak – How should employers handle it?

Coronavirus advice by Alan Hickey, Associate Director of Advisory at Peninsula.

Although there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland to date, the situation is quickly evolving. Employers have a duty of care towards their employees and must take reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of their workforce. Here are some of the main issues that will affect employers regarding the recent virus outbreak and how to deal with them.

Wellbeing

It’s important to remember that your employees will be worried about the virus. In addition to having a duty of care to protect health and safety, you also need to consider their wellbeing. Consider any wellbeing initiatives you have and remind employees of them, for example, an Employee Assistance Programme.

Give employees the facts

The risk of anyone who has not recently been to China picking up the infection is very low unless someone they are close to has the virus. Risk of becoming infected will differ depending on personal circumstances, but it is important to convey to employees the reality of the situation to keep concern proportionate to the risk.

Business travel

The advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs is ‘to avoid all non-essential travel to and within China.’ Consider alternatives to any planned travel to China, e.g. postponing a trip, or carrying out meetings via Skype. If travel is deemed necessary, then you should effectively, but proportionately, manage the risk. Always know where your employees are and where they are going. Ensure they are given clear instructions on hygiene. If employees report symptoms of the virus while they are travelling, you will have to support them. You should also consider making plans to enable any of your employees who are based in China to return to Ireland.

Employees returning from affected areas

Employees returning from China should contact their local Department of Public Health for advice on measures that may need to be taken for 14 days following their return to Ireland. If employees have any symptoms of novel coronavirus, including cough, fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, on arrival or at any time in the 14 days following their return they should self-isolate straight away and phone their GP or emergency department rather than turning up in person.

Employees who have recently returned from China will be prioritised by their local Department of Public Health. Non-symptomatic employees returning from places outside of the Hubei province can attend work. Still, if you have concerns (particularly if it is known or suspected that the employee has had contact with someone known to have the virus) then the best advice might be to play it safe with a brief period of suspension on full pay on precautionary grounds.

Existing health conditions

When determining your response to the virus, pay particular attention to the needs of certain employees who may be vulnerable, e.g. those with existing respiratory conditions such as chronic lung disease, diabetes, cancer as well as those who are pregnant or are older.

Discrimination, bullying and harassment

Coronavirus is not a reason to treat employees differently because of their nationality. You should be alert to ‘banter’, and other instances of harassment, between employees about the virus which relates to someone’s nationality or ethnicity and ensure that your zero-tolerance stance to harassment is maintained.

Coronavirus Hygiene Measures

The World Health Organisation’s standard infection control measures are:

— frequently cleaning hands by using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
when coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw the tissue away immediately and wash your hands.

— avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever and cough

— if you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, phone your GP (do not visit the GP surgery) and tell your GP if you have been in China in the last 14 days