How to Safely Return to Work Amidst COVID-19

Summary

COVID-19 is – and will remain – a serious concern, but we are beginning to turn the corner and slowly enter our “new normal.” 

There’s a lot of uncertainty about what that new normal will look like, but we do know that HR professionals will shape the future of work.

That also means they’ll spend a lot of time navigating the significant challenges it will pose.

For example, in order to protect your employees, you’ll need to collect health data – but how do you do that without violating privacy laws?

You’ll need to keep uninfected healthy employees away from employees who have had COVID exposure – but is refusing to allow employees who’ve been exposed to come into work a form of discrimination?

The ADA, employment laws, privacy laws – these will all be stretched and tested in ways we’ve never imagined.

Join this live workshop on Tuesday, June 30^th to prepare yourself and your business to navigate the uncharted waters ahead.

You’ll learn how to:

• Conduct an orderly, legal, and safe return-to-work procedure
• Anticipate and address the concerns of older employees, employees with disabilities, and employees who are reluctant to return
• Make – and keep – your workplace as safe as reasonably possible

Program Highlights

Answers to questions like:

• Am I permitted to require my employees to self-report on their own and their family’s health status?
• How can I work with valued employees who are afraid to return to work and whom I don’t want to lose?
• Do I have the right to require employees to stay away from “hot spots,” such as bars, restaurants, and beaches?
• What do I do if an employee develops symptoms of COVID-19 while in the workplace?

Equip yourself with the information you need to make informed decisions about returning to work:

• CDC and OSHA guidance for reopening the workplace
• Instructions on how to enforce social distancing requirements at work and what PPE you’re required to provide
• Options for different employment practices for at-risk employees
• Information on how not to violate employees’ HIPAA guaranteed right to privacy while still gathering health-related information you’ll need
• An industry-by-industry listing of the key steps to keep the reopened workplace safe

You’ll walk away knowing:

• How to determine if your workplace is ready to be safely and legally opened
• How to ensure all new and current employees entering the workplace are healthy – without violating any federal or state laws
• How to help employees deal with the challenges of returning, such as using public transportation
• What to do if a job applicant tests positive for COVID-19 during the hiring process
• How to handle employees who refuse to follow your safety policies (or refuse to return to work with safety policies in place)

Program Benefits

The prospect of returning to work is exciting – but to protect our employees and our businesses, we need to reopen in a way that’s safe, healthy, and legal. This workshop will help you prepare your business for the “new normal” – and establish sustainable safety protocols that will allow you to reopen successfully.

If you’d like this program customized for your organization, call us at 1-800-964-6033. We’re certain we can fulfill your training needs, while making it fit in your budget!

About the Speaker

Jim Castagnera holds an M.A. in Journalism from Kent State University, and a J.D. and Ph.D. (American Studies) from Case Western Reserve University.  He practiced law for 36 years, before retiring in June 2019: 10 years as a labor, employment and intellectual-property attorney with Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr; 3 years as general counsel for Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates; and 23 years as the associate provost & legal counsel for academic affairs at Rider University.  His academic career also includes stints as a faculty member at UT-Austin and Widener Law School, and communication director at Case Western Reserve.

Currently, he devotes his full-time to writing, teaching and training.  He is the chief consultant for Holland Media Services, LLC, a freelance writing, training and communications company headquartered in Los Angeles; a founding member of LMC Conflict Training & Conciliation, Inc., and a shareholder and officer of the International Cyber, Privacy & Compliance Risk Institute, both located in Greater Philadelphia.