Workplace Safety and Health in the Wake of
COVID-19
With vaccination rates on the rapid rise, America’s employers and workers are starting to look toward the post-COVID workplace and chart a path forward. Among the numerous workplace issues at play are those related to safety and health. For example, employers whose workers stayed onsite still need to address new issues as they arise. Those whose employees began working remotely at the start of the pandemic are considering strategies for operations moving forward.
To help employers navigate these issues, the ODEP-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) hosted a recent webinar and published an accompanying policy brief.
The webinar, titled Getting Ahead of the Curve: Ensuring Safe, Healthy and Inclusive Workplaces During the COVID-19 Recovery, featured speakers from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The session focused on strategies employers can use to ensure safe and inclusive workplaces for all workers, including those with disabilities, during the COVID-19 recovery. The webinar is now archived and can be viewed at any time.
A related policy brief [PDF], titled Disability-Inclusive COVID-19 Workplace Safety and Health Plans, highlights how to ensure operations going forward align with our nation’s disability and civil rights laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, and are consistent with policies and protocols adopted by federal and state public health and occupational safety and health officials. Supplementing the policy brief are a number of disability-inclusive COVID-19 Workplace and Health and Safety Plans from various federal agencies and information from consulting firm EY regarding its health and safety return-to-work planning.
These resources can help guide employers of all sizes toward safe and healthy workplaces for everyone in the wake of COVID-19. To learn more, visit the EARN website.