PANDEMIC WORKPLACE POLICY FROM BE THE CHANGE GROUP

Our friends at Be the Change Group, founded in 2012 to help thought leaders and innovators convey their research effectively and creatively, have put together a thorough Pandemic Workplace Policy* to help business owners mitigate illness-related risks pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

*note, these policies were created with B.C. guidelines in mind but this a helpful reference for businesses planning their return to work

Here is a brief overview:

COVID-19 Screening and Considerations

SYMPTOM SCREENING

The symptoms of COVID-19 infection are very similar to the symptoms of other common respiratory illnesses like the cold and the flu

  • Fever (≥38.0 C)

  • Chills

  • Cough

  • Sore throat and painful swallowing

  • Stuffy or runny nose

  • Loss of sense of smell

  • Shortness of breath

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle aches

  • Headache

  • Nausea/vomiting

  • Diarrhea

If you or any co-workers have any of these symptoms, you should not be permitted to come into the workplace for any reason, and arrangements should be made to support you in working from home when you feel well enough to do so. According to public health guidelines, it is expected that anyone with the above symptoms should self-isolate.

If you begin to develop symptoms while at work, put a covering over your mouth (a mask, scarf, bandana, etc.) and notify your team lead or business partners immediately, tidy up your belongings, and go home. Your work station should be disinfected immediately.

COVID-19 TESTING

The Be The Change Group recommends that if you have any symptoms that are concerning for COVID-19, call your family doctor or walk-in clinic to find out if they offer testing for COVID-19.

Physical Workplace Prevention

MAXIMUM CAPACITY

This will depend on the size and type of business. For more information on Alberta’s phase-1 relaunch strategy, click here.

BUILDING ENTRY

Upon entering the workplace, Be the Change Group recommends immediately washing your hands in the nearest available sink without touching anything on on your way there. Proper hand washing is essential in combating viruses, so please refer to the image below for proper hand hygiene.

COVID19_Handwashing Poster_MD offices.png

Once you have washing your hands and are ready for work, you can proceed to your work station.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING WHILE AT WORK

Physical distancing does not end when you enter your workplace, and remains essential and effective in reducing infectious disease transmission. In order to operate under physical distancing, people must be at least two metres away from each other at all times. This means that some behaviours are currently suspended. Unfortunately, we’ll need to refrain from engaging in the following activities while at work:

  • Handshaking

  • Hugging

  • Walking close together

  • Catching up with a co-worker next to their desk

  • Sliding down the stair rail

Be the Change Group has established a capacity for sitting and standing room in each section of their workplaces based on calculations made using square footage.

Personal Prevention

HAND HYGIENE

In addition to the properly washing your hands (see image above) here are some examples of when to use hand sanitizer:

  • Use sanitizer when you are coming and going between rooms for instance, or after touching things in a common place

  • Wash or sanitize hands before putting on gloves to do cleaning

If you are using your own personal supply of hand sanitizer, please ensure that it has a minimum of 60% alcohol content. With all the handwashing you’ll be doing, your skin is bound to get dry. Don’t forget to regularly moisturize with your favourite non-scented lotion to prevent skin rashes.

FACE TOUCHING

Let’s be honest, face touching happens. We just can’t help but touch our faces for all sorts of reasons, like maybe you have an itch, maybe you want to put on that super cute cherry lip balm, or maybe you are thinking and you like to rest your thinking hand on your nose.

Our only advice: PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE. If you have to, if you must, please sanitize your hands before you touch your face. But seriously, don’t touch it.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

First and foremost, if you have any symptoms of concern, you just should not be at work—it’s that simple. If you develop symptoms while at work, you’ll need to immediately put on a face covering, notify your team lead, and leave the premises.

Being diligent about not touching your face with your hands is key, as is coughing or sneezing into your arm or other material. Beyond that, PPE is helpful when used correctly. The tricky thing is that it’s a bit difficult to use correctly.

PPE is a catchall term for material that you wear to protect yourself from infection or injury. When we talk about PPE in relation to a pandemic, we are talking specifically about face coverings and gloves. Masks are mostly used to ensure we are protecting each other from ourselves. Gloves are mostly to protect ourselves from contaminated surfaces.

























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