Coronavirus (COVID-19) Policy Template

Introduction

*Disclaimer from Trainual

Please note that this template is not an official medical document. And its information is for general knowledge and educational purposes only — not to provide advice on how to structure your organization's processes and/or policies. Meaning, this template should never be taken in place of legal or medical advice. 

To use, you will need to customize this template to meet all your company's requirements. So, please update it with any and all relevant information before rolling it out (like deleting this step)!

What is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now officially classified as a pandemic and is affecting lives and work around the globe. We want you to know what we are doing as a company to protect you and your families and mitigate the spread of this illness. This Subject will explain these measures and how you can assist us in our efforts to promote a safe and healthy environment both at work and at home.

NOTE: This Subject may be updated as new information is made available from local health and governmental bodies. You will be notified when updates are made.

This policy applies to all employees regardless of where or in what capacity they work.

You can learn more about the prevention of COVID-19 at the following addresses:

• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html
• https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov

If you have questions or concerns about anything in this Subject, please contact the HR department.

Per the World Health Organization (WHO), Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.  

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. 

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

Source: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

Our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Policy

Prevention & Protection against Coronavirus

The following required actions should be observed by all employees in order to protect themselves and others from COVID:

General Hygiene

Practice good hygiene by:

• Regularly washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Coughing/sneezing into a tissue, or upper sleeve, not in hands.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with hands.
• Avoiding contact with anyone with respiratory illnesses of any kind

We will routinely clean and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces including:

• Work stations
• Countertops
• Doorknobs/handles
• We will provide tissues and disinfecting, disposable wipes.

Illness

• If you are sick especially with cold or flu symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or fever, you should remain home and seek medical attention immediately.
• If you have sick family members, please stay home.
• If you become sick at work, you will be separated from other employees and sent home.

Work From Home

• If an outbreak becomes severe enough, a mandatory "Work from Home" policy may be put into effect and will continue until conditions improve well within healthy limits per local health and/or governmental bodies.
• If you need to care for a family member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you will be required to work for at least [#] days after the family member has fully recovered and it has been determined by a medical professional that you have not been infected.

Travel

• If an outbreak becomes severe enough, employee travel may be partially or fully restricted until conditions improve.
• We will leverage the use of virtual meeting technologies to continue work that would normally be conducted onsite.
• If you have recently returned from any area with a high number of COVID-19 diagnoses, you will be required to work from home for at least [#] calendar days and may return to the office if no symptoms have presented themselves.

Click here for more prevention measures from World Health Organization.

If You Have Been Diagnosed with COVID

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, you may not return to the office for at least five days, per CDC guidelines. No exceptions!!!

We recognize that a positive test does not mean you are unable to work. Therefore, until your isolation period is over, if you are able to work, you may do so from home, per approval of your immediate manager, in accordance with our Work From Home Policy.

After your five day isolation period is over, we ask that employees refer to the CDC guidelines to determine whether they are safe to return to the office, depending on their own personal symptoms.

Source: CDC website.