The Costs of Not Taking COVID-19 Seriously
By all accounts, the number of COVID-19 infections (and deaths) are on the rise and are likely to increase even more after Thanksgiving. At the same time, there is a great political divide as to how seriously folks take the virus. Politics aside, what are some of the potential costs to your business if you fail to take COVID-19 seriously?
As an initial matter, when I talk about taking COVID-19 seriously, I mean that your business is following CDC guidelines, which provides strategies and recommendations for employers responding to COVID-19, which include disinfecting, hand washing, social distancing, and the wearing of masks. Employers should also be familiar with OSHA guidance, which focuses on jobs classified as having low, medium, high, and very high exposure risks, and provides specific recommendations for employers and workers within specific risk categories.
So what are some of the potential business consequences of failing to take COVID-19 seriously?