COVID-19: What steps should an Employer be taking?

As the number of cases connected with COVID-19 continues to rise in Ireland, resulting in the closure of various organisations and educational institutions, together with new reports of health service workers being requested to self-isolate, it is important at this stage for employers to plan accordingly in the event that closure of a business becomes a reality.

Helpfully, the Workplace Relations Commission has issued a notice to assist employers entitled “COVID-19: Guidance note for employers and employees”, a link to which can be found here.

When considering the processes and procedures that will apply in the event of COVID-19 impacting the workplace, regard must be had in the first instance to contracts of employment together with any employment policies and procedures in place. Well drafted policies, together with contractual provisions, should clearly set out, inter alia, the procedures that will apply when employees are unable to attend work, the entitlement to sick pay and health and safety guidelines.

However, the majority of employers are unlikely to have a specific policy dealing with an outbreak such as COVID-19. It would therefore be advisable for the employers to direct their employees to the appropriate authorities for further information on COVID-19 and also advise employees on practical steps to take in order to promote and ensure health and safety in the workplace.

Ultimately, employers have a duty of care to protect the safety, health and welfare of their employees and both employers and employees are advised to follow any advice from the Health Service Executive and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, which is continually updated and can be found here.

How we can help

If you have any queries or concerns, or would like to discuss the above in further detail, please feel free to contact Richard Lee, Partner, BHSM on 01 440 8300 / rlee@bhsm.ie.

This article is for general information purposes.  Legal advice must be obtained for individual circumstances.  Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this article, no liability is accepted by the author for any inaccuracies.