Please visit our COVID-19 resources page with more information for business owners and employees.
Protecting your employees and workplace
Nextep is closely monitoring the spread of the coronavirus. We are actively taking precautions to fight the spread of infection in our offices and prioritizing the safety of our employees so we can continue elevating the employment experience for our clients — no matter what.
As the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, it’s important to keep employees safe by proactively preventing the spread of disease in the workplace. Here’s what you can do to protect your workplace and employees:
- Encourage employees to stay home when they feel under the weather.
- Develop and implement a contingency plan and contagious disease policy that outlines how you will address an infectious disease in the workplace — our HR team is standing by and ready to assist with planning.
- Review your current attendance policy to see what procedures are in place for those who exceed their sick leave and make adjustments to accommodate a possible outbreak.
- Maintain an open line of communication with employees to hear their concerns and keep them informed with ways the company is working to minimize infections in the workplace.
- Provide disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and other sanitization products for your employees.
- Utilize CDC materials to educate your employees on how to protect themselves and reduce exposure to the virus.
- Encourage everyone to be actively involved in keeping the workplace safe.
For employees, here’s what you can do to help protect yourself from the virus and limit exposure:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you’re sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Seek medical care as soon as possible if you experience symptoms of illness.
Having sick employees in the office can have a big impact on your workplace in the long run. If you haven’t already, examine your current sick day policy with our HR experts. Employees can also utilize their medical benefits and contact their healthcare provider for treatment. Additionally, Nextep client employees who meet the CDC testing guidelines and are insured by Aetna may be able to access CVS clinic coronavirus diagnostic testing with no co-pays.
When it comes to preventing the spread of illness in the workplace, we believe the first line of defense is for employees to stay home when they’re experiencing symptoms. Ultimately, this is only as effective as the degree to which your employees feel empowered to use sick days. When people fear repercussions, they feel obligated to come into work while sick, which is how illnesses continue to spread.
The safety and well-being of our employees and yours is something we prioritize at Nextep. Rest assured, Nextep will continue to meet the day-to-day needs of our clients and provide expert HR, payroll, risk & compliance, and benefits services. We’ll be here for you to provide the exceptional service you’ve come to expect from us, rain or shine.
For continuously updated information on the coronavirus, prevention and treatment, travel information, and other resources, visit the CDC’s resources page.
