One of the top “Return to Work” issues we have been hearing from employers as they begin the re-opening process is – some employees simply don’t want to return to work.
Common reasons employees refuse to return to work
- Employee is a high-risk individual, or caring for someone who is high-risk
- Employee is fearful of returning to the workplace and contracting COVID-19
- Employee has childcare concerns
- Employee is making more money on Unemployment Insurance
Strategies to handle this situation?
The most important thing to do is keep the lines of communication open with each employee and treat each employee’s concern on a case-by-case basis. As an employer, this is the time to be open-minded, flexible and creative with managing your employees and their concerns, whether you believe they are valid or not. This is uncharted territory and you and and your employees are in this together.
- Refrain from making decisions for the employee – encourage employees to come to you for requests for accommodation.
- Provide available options, and allow them to make the decision.
- Talk with the employee to uncover what is causing fear of returning to work. Is it safety concerns, sanitation concerns, concerns about new policies and protocol they must follow?
- Describe the safety precautions the company is taking to protect employees and ensure the work site is being sanitized and disinfected regularly.
- Communicate with employees and ensure the new rules, policies, procedures your company has implemented are understood
- Determine if reasonable accommodations can be offered to the concerned employee.
- Can they continue to work from home?
- Can their schedule or workspace be modified in some way?
- Determine if a temporary leave of absence is possible
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
- Paid Sick Leave
- Company sponsored Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Other Leaves of Absence
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
Email [email protected] with any HR-related concerns.
