What employers can do

• Direct employees to inform HR if they have been potentially exposed to Covid-19 or if they have traveled to high-risk places.
• Instruct employees who exhibit manifest symptoms to undergo medical examination or rest at home.
• Require a medical certificate for return to work for employees who exhibited symptoms.
• Implement flexible working arrangement, telecommuting, and compressed workweek.
• Issue workplace policies and regulations to protect the workforce.
• Frequently sanitize work areas, provide hand sanitizers, and regularly remind employees on best practices to avoid getting the virus.

What employers should not do?

• Ban employees from working if they have been potentially exposed to Covid-19 or if they have traveled to high-risk places. (Instead, employers can direct employees to disclose such information and, where necessary, instruct those who exhibit manifest symptoms to undergo medical examination or rest at home.)
• Require nonessential travel to affected areas.
• Fail to respect the employee’s right to privacy by leaking health or medical information.
• Make medical opinions or spread misinformation to the employees.
• Fail to submit OSH report on work-related illness.
• Discriminate or target certain employees and using the virus as a pretext.
• Suspend or dismiss employees who exhibit symptoms.

Updated: 10 March 2020

About the author

Atty. Jake is a business lawyer and law mentor. He practices on labor and employment, corporate and regulatory compliance, data privacy, intellectual property, negotiations and contracts, as well as handles litigation and arbitration cases.