With the death toll rising exponentially in
Ireland and with the figure touching 365 as of 13th April 2020 (source: worldometer),
the Irish GDP is projected to contract and job losses to go up. In short, the
scale of economic shock is visible in the wake of the pandemic created by the
novel coronavirus. Employees are no doubt suffering from job insecurity but employers
too are faced with a dilemma of whether to remain open or closed and whether to
pay remuneration to them. But, no matter what, employers and multinational
corporations should abide by certain guidelines in this hour of crisis. If you
are operating a business and have employees working under you, this blog post
is for you. Go through it to understand the roles and responsibilities of company
owners towards their staff members during this unsettling time.
Advice
to Corporate Clients in the Wake of the Global Pandemic – Coronavirus
Breen Walsh Solicitors, the best solicitors in Cork, advises all business owners
to abide by certain rules for the welfare of employees. Enclosed below are some
of them.
ü Maintain Workplace Hygiene
All employers must follow the coronavirus guidelines
of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Department of Health for
workplace safety. If needed, flexibility in leave policies should be initiated
to encourage sick employees to stay back at home. Besides, workplaces should stock
up necessary sanitising products like hand wash and sanitizer to motivate
workers to maintain hygiene in the workplace.
ü Restrict Employees from
Travelling Abroad for Work
Employers should also curb subordinates
from travelling abroad, especially to China, Asia and Europe, to meet work-related
goals. This step is crucial to curtail employee exposure to the deadly virus.
ü Postpone Public Events and
Activities for the Safety of Workers
There’s a Health and Safety Act at work, whereby
every employer owes responsibility and a duty of care towards their employees.
It’s time to enforce the necessary protective measures to cultivate a safe
workplace in the face of an identified risk. Revocation of public events and
activities taken in the interest of business should also be mandated for the
welfare of employees.
ü Refer Contract of Employment
for taking Decisions regarding Wages
Every employer-employee relation starts
from a contract of employment, where the former has to abide by certain
obligations. While civil servants should be entitled discounting of sick leaves
for assessing the eligibility of promotion, company sick pay policy should be relaxed
during such an unsettling time.
ü Employers should Assist
Employees with Care Arrangements
The Government mandates all employers to
initiate care arrangements for the welfare of employees. Some of the measures
you may follow on grounds of humanity are the following:
- Provide paid compassionate leave
- Allow altering of shifts so that the employee can coordinate caring between him/her and spouse.
- Allow paid time off, which the worker can compensate at a later time.
- Permit work from home.
- Give consent to rearranging of holidays.
In short, employers should stay a little
aware of the flexibility in policies brought about by the Government in
response to the global pandemic. A deviation from them might encourage the
employee to take actions. So, be a little gentle while enforcing rules and
regulations in this hour of disruption.
Postscript:
COVID-19 puts several restrictions on employment
rights but an employer can’t keep a tab on them, as there are other responsibilities
to meet. Therefore, we suggest you seek the advisory services of employment law solicitors in Cork for the smooth
functioning of a business. Breen Walsh Solicitors in Cork City might have closed down their office for the safety of all its
staff members, but is working remotely. You can consult them to deal with matters
correctly and take decisions in the best interest of your employees.
