Earlier this year it seemed the worst of the pandemic was behind us, and we were getting back to normal. Then the combination of a new, more transmissible variant and a slowing rate of vaccination resulted in a new surge, and restrictions we thought were no longer needed are coming back into force.
It's useless to assign blame or to protest. We need to get the new surge under control. Workplace coach and blogger Lynne Curry offers these suggestions (https://workplacecoachblog.com/2021/08/delta-variant-what-employers-employees-need-to-do-today/):
- Employers must keep infections out of the workplace.
- Encourage employees to be vaccinated, including providing time off and accurate information.
- Consider mandatory vaccination requirements, subject to reasonable exceptions.
- Monitor local transmission rates and revise work in office requirements as necessary.
- Use social distancing and remote work to keep infections from spreading.
- Require masks for unvaccinated individuals; recommend them for everybody.
- Sick employees should stay home, and notify employers privately if they have COVID-19.
- Improve ventilation.
- Test employees or pay for tests.
- Eliminate travel to high infection areas.
Let's all stay safe.