Every week we comb through the news to find employment trends affecting the hospitality industry so you don’t have to. This week’s topic: creating a plan for COVID-19.
Creating a Plan for COVID-19
COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus, has been the priority for media outlets the past several weeks as cases grow around the world. With the recent rise of cases in the United States, it’s time to create an ‘in case of emergency’ plan for your business to help keep workers and customers safe. Because COVID-19 is spread through close contact, it’s especially important for restaurant operators to develop an easy to implement strategy.
When creating an emergency plan, one step is to account for all possible scenarios, such as an employee getting sick or their family member getting sick. You’ll also want to be mindful of any city/state quarantines and school or work closings. Another step is to encourage your team to take care of themselves and stay home if they’re sick or noticing coronavirus-like symptoms. Oftentimes, restaurant industry employees feel like they can’t call off work when they’re ill because of being short-staffed. Especially during the presence of COVID-19, managers should be encouraging workers to stay home if they’re feeling sick to prevent the spread of germs.
At LGC, Senior VP of Operations Rachel Martin took the initiative to create an action plan in case the coronavirus effects our internal employees, temporary workers, or clients. Rachel says, “We wanted to create a formal policy to ensure the health and safety of our staff, as well as ease as much of the stress of the unknown as we could.” She added, “It was also a priority to make sure our clients know we’re here to support them and their needs during this time.”
Based off constructing LGC’s policy, Rachel suggests the following when thinking of creating a plan for COVID-19:
- Be cautious and safe, but don’t unnecessarily panic your team.
- Remember there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the outbreak.
- Stock up on soap and toiletries, particularly for restaurants.
- Be understanding and flexible with your employees.
Mainly, it’s important to make sure your employees and customers know their safety is your top priority. By taking the measures needed to inform and educate your team, they’ll feel supported and safe in their environment.
If you’re creating a plan for COVID-19 and require workers to assist in the cleaning of your facility, contact your local LGC branch.
To learn more about the coronavirus including symptoms and prevention, click here.