Getting Workers Safely Back to Work in the COVID Era

Dare we even think of life post-COVID, especially in the workplace? Our lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus. With two additional variants being tracked, we’re likely to experience further disruptions.

At the same time, vaccines are becoming more and more available, which may make it feasible for some people to return to work in coming weeks and months.

How to Get Workers Safely Back to Work During COVID-19

As individuals, many of us have proven to be quite adaptable and resilient after COVID-19 entered the United States in January 2020. For the most part, so have employers. Going forward, we’ll all need to fine-tune our skills at flexibility to return to the work environment at our best – safe and healthy.

Many employers are already planning for the post-COVID era. They realize that this could be an opportune time to re-engage the workforce by:

• Re-directing everyone’s focus on mission-critical work
• Helping workers better understand what is expected of them
• Letting workers know what the company is doing to prevent illness and injury

What Are OSHA’s Guidelines for Workplaces Regarding COVID-19?

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency whose focus is on representing the interest of the American worker.
OSHA has developed a guide for employers to follow in preparing for the return to work. In your work environment you may be seeing some of the following steps being taken already:

• Assess potential hazards
• Promote hygiene
• Promote social distancing
• Establish a protocol to identify and isolate sick or injured workers.
• Offer workers personal protective equipment (PPE), barriers and shields as needed.
• Enhance ventilation
• Promote flexibility in where and how employees work.
• Offer training to help employees understand all the changes coming their way.
• Prevent retaliation of any kind and help workers understand their rights under OSHA’s workers’ comp program.

How Can I Prepare My Business?

The work slowdown since COVID hit has placed intense pressure on companies large and small. For some, it was slow and methodical. For others, it was instant, painful and out of their control.

America’s workforce welcomes the return to some form of normalcy. This can be a time to enhance the corporate culture, find fresh approaches to productivity and develop warmer relationships among all levels of the organization.

To achieve such goals, an organization must encourage workers’ concerns to reach the level of corporate decision-makers.

How Can I Ensure My Employees’ Safety?

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers workers the following guidelines for a safe and healthy work environment:

• Stay home when you’re sick.
• Monitor your health.
• Wear a mask.
• Social distance.
• Wash your hands often.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
• Avoid sharing objects and equipment.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are shared by others.

Some innovative companies are offering physical therapy and fitness classes to help employees return to their pre-COVID level of strength, endurance and sense of balance.

Contact a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today

Despite your best efforts, injury or illness related to your work may occur. If your employer fails to support your workers’ comp claim, there are remedies under the law. Take heart knowing Cohen & Dwin, Baltimore’s workers’ comp law firm, stands ready to help.

With more than 100 years of experience among us, we’re known for getting results. We have a record of success with workers’ comp claims. Don’t suffer in silence. Contact Cohen & Dwin now, before the statute of limitations runs out.