Flex Time, Paid Leave Called Employers’ Virus Survival Tools

Remaining flexible and being generous with paid leave are two ways employers can shield workers from the coronavirus, a government doctor told trade association members.

Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dispensed the management tips Tuesday during a webinar hosted by the Society for Human Resource Management.

The online forum, which SHRM executives said drew over 40,000 viewers, featured a host of questions about Covid-19. The queries ranged from reinfection rates for the disease to what to do with new hires just returning from a cruise.

Butler shared the latest data about the administration’s containment efforts, weaving in advice about mitigating risk in the workplace. He did not say anything about the stimulus package President Donald Trump is shopping around on Capitol Hill. Some of the benefits policies Butler mentioned appear to be part of those preliminary discussions.

Butler’s recommendations include:

• Liberalizing telework/flexible scheduling: Limiting unnecessary contact, particularly if an employee doesn’t feel well, benefits everyone, Butler said. “Actually encourage sick employees to stay home. This is not the time to tough through it,” he said.
• Bolster paid leave: Allowing flexible sick leave could help working parents deal with sudden school closings, he said.
• Watch travel alerts: Employers should stay on top of government-issued travel warnings and communicate that information to workers required to move about the country, he said.