The United States has ramped up vaccinations to 2.5 million per day. States are relaxing restrictions. Schools are opening their doors. Fear seems to be receding. Employers of remote workers see a business boom coming and are restless to bring their people back.
The pressure is building to return to the office. Still, it won’t be as simple and easy as sending out an email saying, “We’ll see you Monday!” Organizations are going to need, among other things, a written policy. A clear, detailed policy that protects employees and minimizes liability is in everyone’s interest–except maybe the people who have to come up with it. Some of the questions and issues this policy should address would keep King Solomon awake at night.
Here are some things to consider:
Where does this leave employers who want to get things back to normal? To be blunt, it leaves them hanging. According to an attorney with Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Douglas Lang, “…there’s no vaccine for the new wave of litigation.” A COVID liability shield for businesses at the federal level has yet to pass Congress. At the state level, pertinent liability shields are a patchwork. Your business insurance may provide certain kinds of protection, but the prudent action would be to schedule a review with your agent.
At this point, then, employers should create and implement a policy based upon federal, state and local recommendations that represents a maximal approach to safety. Return to the office should be entirely voluntary without rewards or penalties for how employees decide.
Hopefully things will soon get easier and clearer.
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DATABASICS is driven to meet the most demanding time and expense management challenges for organizations throughout the world with a combination of deep expertise, next-gen technology and a focus on the unique needs of each customer. Powered by decades of experience, DATABASICS is in the business of solving time and expense problems with solutions that are the right choice for today and easily adapt to the uncertainties of tomorrow. Time and expense are better together, which is why DATABASICS addresses these two critical business processes with absolute ease in one solution.
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