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Date posted: 02nd July 2020

02nd July 2020

How to support medically vulnerable employees when returning to the office

How to support medically vulnerable employees when returning to the office

As organisations begin to return to the office many employees are concerned about the safety measures that will be put in place – especially those who are vulnerable or living with someone who is high-risk. Supporting both these groups needs to be central to any office re-opening plans.

Rebecca Zucker gives 4 recommendations for creating office re-entry plans that support medically vulnerable employees.

From the Article: 

Have a process in place for fielding questions and concerns.

HR leaders I have been talking to in various sectors have been addressing a wide range of employee questions throughout the crisis. This will only accelerate when the organization gets ready to reopen its offices, and there will be many questions and concerns specifically from this subset of employees.

Irene Bassock, an employment attorney and Of Counsel at the law firm Cohen & Buckmann, says, “There has to be some type of planning, knowing that these requests will be coming in fast and furious. It’s important that employees know where to go. That there are people on the front line, whether it be their managers or HR. That questions are getting to people who understand how to respond to those questions, so you don’t get knee-jerk reactions.” Having a clear process in place will help create greater alignment and mitigate conflicting messages.

Support their ability to continue working from home, if possible.

A silver lining of this pandemic is that it might normalize remote work. While working at home is not ideal for everyone, we have all learned over the last few months that it is doable when necessary — and even beneficial. Allowing high-risk employees to work from home will not only help them feel safe but will also reduce the number of people in the office, giving those who are physically present more space to socially distance themselves. Studies have shown that, in student populations, fearing for one’s physical safety negatively impacts performance, and the same relationship can be inferred for working adults.

Get the full article online: Office Reentry Plans Must Account for Medically Vulnerable Employees

Make sure to explore Inspiring Workplace’s other content and insights about leadership and Covid-19.