COVID-19: A Small Business Guide for Getting Back to Work. | hioscar Blog | Oscar
COVID-19: A Small Business Guide for Getting Back to Work.
How to make the transition while keeping your employees safe.
Workplace WellnessTips for Small Businesses
7 min read
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If your business was shut down due to COVID-19, you might have started thinking about reopening, even if operating at limited capacity. Or maybe your business has already done so. Rather than thinking ahead to what a “post-covid” reality looks like, it’s probably best to think about what things will look like with COVID-19 as part of our reality for the foreseeable future.
Back-to-work plans depend in part on geography. Businesses in some suburban and rural areas, which have experienced fewer confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, might have an easier time convincing workers and customers that it’s safe to resume business operations. No matter where you are, any reopening process will be—and should be—gradual and carefully planned. Keeping your workplace safe is important to the health of your employees and customers and helping to flatten the curve.
Be sure to follow local and state guidance. For some general guidelines for businesses reopening, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (opens in new tab). You’ll find helpful advice on how to “plan, prepare, and respond” to our current situation and get things up and running safely.
Keeping your employees (and your business) safe.
Reopening your business involves important financial and health considerations: how will you protect the health of employees and customers, and how will you reduce overall risk in the workplace? (Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are obliged to provide a safe workplace.) What will these safety measures cost to implement?
Consider how your business operates. Does your particular industry allow for certain employees to work remotely, while sustaining your business needs? If not, could work shifts be staggered? How about lunch shifts? Can you practice social distancing at your workplace or office? Can you supply employees with masks, air purifiers, hand sanitizer, wipes, and cleaning supplies? Do you disinfect your workplace daily and sanitize high-touch surfaces frequently, such as between shifts? Will you conduct daily temperature checks?
Finally, how will healthcare factor into your employees’ lives, and your budget, during this unprecedented time? Costs are a top concern for many businesses operators, but offering high-quality health insurance is one of the best ways to help your employees access any care they need quickly, to keep your workplace safe and running smoothly. Plus, coverage like what we offer small businesses (opens in new tab) at Oscar can help save your business and your employees money, including a dedicated Care Team, complete with a nurse, and access to our 24/7 telemedicine service at $0 on most plans,* so employees can talk to a Doctor on Call (opens in new tab) around their work schedule.
Factoring commutes into your reopening plans.
How do your employees get to work, and how does their commute impact their safety?
For those who rely on public transportation to get to and from work, they should sit or stand as far from others on a bus or train as they can. If someone coughs or sneezes on the bus or train, and they’re more than six feet away, their risk is lowered. But if they’re sitting or standing next to an obviously sick person—someone coughing or sneezing on a crowded train car—things get more challenging.
If your industry allows for you to adjust some or all of your employees’ work hours, try to shift their commutes to less busy times. And if they must get to and from work during typical rush hour times, allow them to leave extra time for their commute so they can wait for a less crowded train or bus. And of course, urge them to wash their hands thoroughly, according to CDC guidelines (opens in new tab), as soon as they arrive at your workplace. If any of your employees are able to walk or bike to work, even better. Regardless of their mode of transportation, they should bring hand sanitizer (spray or wipes), gloves, and tissues. Otherwise, see if you can provide these supplies for your workplace. Additionally, some state and local guidelines require people to wear a face mask in public spaces and when using public transportation.
Understanding steps to take if an employee is sick.
Although we expect eventually to move toward a world in which living (and working) with COVID-19 is more like the flu— something we can vaccinate against each year, seasonally—it will be quite some time before we’re there. Coaxing customers back is one thing, but convincing some of your employees to return might prove challenging, too—either due to health concerns or other reasons. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (opens in new tab) requires certain employers to provide employees with paid sick leave, or expanded family and medical leave for reasons related to COVID-19.
The CDC’s guidelines for how employers (opens in new tab) can keep the workplace safe and protect employees and customers include asking employees to stay home if they’re showing symptoms (opens in new tab) including but not limited to a cough or shortness of breath.** If an employee might be sick, they can take Oscar’s quick risk assessment survey (opens in new tab) to receive a personalized action plan with recommendations for recovery. Isolating at home is the best way to reduce spread and recover; check the CDC (opens in new tab) for the steps that employees should take to leave home after they’ve been sick, whether or not they have tested positive.
If you’re asking your employees to get a doctor’s note clearing them to return to work (excluding antibody testing), their Oscar Care Team can help them find another doctor in the area or connect them with one of Oscar’s Doctors on Call (opens in new tab) or help them find a local provider that offers the test to see if the virus is still detectable in their respiratory tract (excluding antibody testing). Members can just login to their account (opens in new tab) to access our COVID-19 testing center locator, or reach out to their Care Team at 1-855-672-2788.
Supporting employees’ mental health and wellbeing.
The challenges your employees may have been facing over the past several months extend far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and health. Maybe you had to furlough them or let them go and are now hiring them back. Regardless of whether or not your employees have been working in the office, at home, or not at all, many people have been experiencing feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness during this time. Some may have been affected by COVID-19 or had a loved one affected, and could now be on a challenging road of recovery or grief.
Particularly for the Black community and any Black employees, recent events around the country have been difficult and emotional to see and experience. Since the death of George Floyd, we’ve seen protests (opens in new tab) spread across the U.S., as people gather to express feelings of anger, frustration and sadness. With so much pain and outrage, it is challenging to focus on day-to-day activities like work. Additionally, race-related trauma can have a harmful impact on one’s mental health, and there are options available to your employees.
Talking about feelings of anger and sadness can help. Through Oscar's partner, Optum, anyone seeking mental health support can access a $0, 24/7 counseling helpline by calling (866) 342-6892.
Now more than ever, we need to take the steps to look after ourselves, our loved ones, and our employees and coworkers, and support the Black community. If your employees need someone to talk to about what they are experiencing, they can call the hotline or reach out to their Oscar Team to learn more about the services available to them. They can also find out more about getting support through resources like Virtual Substance Abuse Support and Virtual Mental Health Visits, through our page that includes some services offered by nonprofits and Oscar partners here (opens in new tab).
A healthy work family is a happy, devoted, and productive one. We’ve covered thousands of small businesses, including law firms, construction companies, restaurants, and more. We’d love to support you and your work family, too. At Oscar, we want to integrate seamlessly into people’s lives, whether they’re back at the office or working from home.
You can learn more about our plans at cignaoscar.com (opens in new tab), call us directly at 1-855-672-2784, or talk to your broker about us.
*Available on most Oscar plans.
** Please refer to the CDC (opens in new tab) for the most up-to-date list of COVID-19 symptoms, which include but are not limited to: Cough; Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; Fever; Chills; Muscle pain; Sore throat; New loss of taste or smell.
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 9-1-1 for immediate assistance.
Cigna + Oscar coverage is insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company. CA: benefits administered by Oscar Health Administrators. Other states: benefits administered by Oscar Management Corporation. Pharmacy benefits provided by Express Scripts, Inc. Cigna + Oscar health insurance contains exclusions and limitations. For complete details on product availability and coverage, please refer to your plan documents or contact a representative.
