It’s an understatement to say that COVID-19 has touched people’s lives. That includes the way in which they work. As workplaces begin to welcome employees back on-site, employers now face a larger burden in terms of offering safe work environments. Employers are expected to help protect the health of their employees (and visitors), but most want to do without disrupting the workplace. Here’s a closer look at the importance of this responsibility and how to meet it.

Making sure that employees are healthy can help reduce the risk of illness to everyone, yet most employers want to do so in a way that is not disruptive or invasive. Employers should have policies that promote staying at home when employees feel unwell. They can also ask employees to fill out simple self-certification forms to confirm that they are feeling healthy and haven’t been knowingly exposed to a communicable disease such as COVID.

Some workplaces are using thermographic equipment to detect elevated skin temperatures among people in a group, without the need to test temperatures individually. Handheld thermometers that can read the skin temperature of an employee via the forehead or wrist is another method. Other technological advances include wearable patches that monitor health information that can be shared with employers. More than half of employees say they are willing to wear such devices and share that data if it doesn’t cost anything.The Accompanying resource describes more about the need for this kind of screening.

Graphic created by Northland Controls.