Impact Of The COVID-19 On Employees & Organizations

 

In order to bring the new coronavirus pandemic in the country under control, the government of Sri Lanka implemented a set of control strategies including social distancing, quarantine, lockdowns, travel restrictions, and isolation of villages.

The economic disruption induced by the Covid‐19 was caused by governments reacting to the health threat by locking down parts of the economy, as well as by individuals reacting cautiously to the threat by, for example, cutting back on services from restaurants, bars, cinemas, and the like.

This had a number of immediate organizational design implications, caused by physical distance becoming an important contingency.

Generally, employers have a duty to ensure the safety and health of their workers and others in the workplace. This includes providing and maintaining a work environment that is without risk to health and safety and adequate facilities for workers in carrying out their work, as is reasonably practicable. 1 Most national health and safety legislations have such provisions. COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. 

What do employers need to do to protect the safety and health of their workers and the workplace in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Given below is the guidance to assist employers in understanding, managing and mitigating the risks to protect their workers and the workplace. 

As the situation on COVID-19 is constantly changing, providing regular updates to workers about the status of COVID-19 will help them to feel informed and well supported, and in return, stay motivated to assist and adapt through this challenging time. Employers should also provide up-to-date, reliable information to suppliers and customers

Employers have an overall responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, as far as reasonably practicable, including specific measures to control the spread of viruses like COVID-19.  Every workplace can play an important role in containing the outbreak by taking measures such as: 

- Ensuring physical distance at the workplace or implementing remote work arrangements; 
- Disinfecting the workplace regularly 
- Guidance for employers on “Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19.” 
- Dashboard on “Novel Coronavirus situation” 
- Maintaining good environmental hygiene and good indoor ventilation;
- Providing adequate facilities (e.g., soap, hand sanitizer, signage, and reminders) and
  encouraging workers to practice workplace hygiene 
- promoting respiratory hygiene 
- limiting or banning non-essential work travel
- reducing interaction with people outside the workplace as much as possible
- empowering workers to take action if they feel they are facing an unprotected work situation
- developing infection control policies and procedures; 
- directing workers to comply with quarantine measures
- directing workers to stay at home or work from home if they have flu-like symptoms 
- complying with reporting obligations to health authorities and labour inspectorates according
  to national legislation and practice. 

CONCLUSION

While there is a hope that the world may return to the old ways of working and also warns us of the dangers of such a false hope, and cautions us of the imminent new normal that we may be heading towards. 

REFERENCES

.Erandi, K. K. W. H. (Available at :https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/2954519)




Comments

  1. ShriMay 1, 2021 at 6:28 AM

    Nowadays, hear and there, every where, we hear about Corona. How to get protected from corona. How to keep our selves away from corona. But most of the human get effected because they make such mistakes in this regards. So for, I propose this is a very well written and well enriched detailed article to enhance your knowledge. Good luck and follow the precautions.

    ReplyDelete

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