Staff not adhering to COVID-specific guidelines?
Whether staff are working from home or on-site from a central workspace, employers have a duty to provide clear safety and compliance guidelines around COVID-19 that all employees must comply with.
Failing to do so can put the health, wellbeing and performance of an entire organisation at serious risk, which is why it’s so important that all employees follow stringent measures to prevent and contain any potential risks.
Employers must also prepare for the possibility that some members of staff may break these guidelines during the course of their day-to-day work. Whether unintentional or not, employers have a statutory right to treat a significant breach in regulations as a serious disciplinary matter and take appropriate action to prevent further implications for other staff or the business itself.
Potential problem areas
Breaches to COVID-specific guidelines can occur among both on-site workers and employees working from home. As such, it’s crucial that employers provide adequate information and instructions to their entire workforce regarding risk assessments, ongoing safety measures and the responsibility all employees have in adhering to them.
So, where are we seeing the most common issues? Below is a non-exhaustive list of potential breaches for both on-site workers and those working remotely:
Office/on-site employees
• Not washing hands using provided (or own) facilities
• Not maintaining social distancing regulations at work
• Not wearing a mask or PPE in appropriate situations
Remote employees
• Failure to self-isolate appropriately
• Attending the workplace despite displaying COVID-19 symptoms
• Attending the workplace despite having tested positive for COVID-19
Prioritise health and safety training
The issues listed above often arise due to a lack of understanding of the virus and why specific measures must be followed to prevent a heightened risk of transmission. Effective safety and compliance training is therefore a key first step for any employer aiming to minimise breaches of rules among staff.
Top organisations also make a point of delivering key elements of health and safety training to remote workers through a cloud-based online portal and interactive eLearning platform. This ensures all employees stay up to date on the latest regulations no matter where they are, whilst also removing the need to commute to a central workspace to receive training.
Make employees aware of repercussions
Following a comprehensive risk assessment that details all measures taken to protect both on-site and remote workers, employers should issue a company-wide communication that informs them that disciplinary action may be taken against any employee that fails to comply with the rules.
This leaves no doubt in the mind of employees regarding the severity of the regulations and gives fair notice that further action may be taken in the event of a breach.
Give HR and line managers the tools to track compliance
Employee non-compliance is a serious issue that can have a hugely detrimental impact on organisational health and performance. Managers and HR leaders therefore need to have effective digital solutions at their disposal to be able to track, measure and monitor their workforce from a safety and compliance perspective.
As we continue forwards into the ‘new normal’ world of work, it’s the organisations that have first-class risk assessment processes, incident reporting and training capabilities that are best-placed to avoid any issues and ensure every member of staff stays fully compliant at all times.
Does your organisation need support with its approach to safety and compliance? Get in touch with one of our friendly experts today to find out how our solutions can help you achieve greater agility and resilience.
