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What are your responsibilities as a business owner in the time of COVID-19?
Frank Malara • July 8, 2020

As states, counties, and cities lift restrictions, business owners are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place: you want to reopen your business, but what are your obligations as a business owner?

Before you flip the sign to “OPEN” take time to create policies.

Recovering from a global pandemic isn’t the time to forge blindly ahead.

Examine your human resources policies , paying attention to elements relating to:

  • Adequate sick time to ensure unwell staff can stay home rather than potentially spread COVID-19.
  • Accommodations for staff, or staff that live with or care for family members, with underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for COVID-19.
  • Accommodations for staff that are unable to secure childcare during work hours due to school, camp, and daycare closures ( they may be eligible for benefits through the Families First Act ).

Make sure your staffing plan and schedule complies with capacity limits based on Executive Order and Department of Health recommendations, as well as your physical space. This may mean:

  • Extending work from home policies, if feasible.
  • Continuing to use video conferencing even when all parties are present in the office.
  • Staggering start times or days in the office.
  • Closing common spaces like break areas, kitchens, and cafeterias.
  • Limiting and posting elevator capacities.
  • Restricting work-related travel.
  • Opening by appointment-only to your clientele or limiting the number of clients and customers allowed in your business at any one time.

Ensure your staff, clientele, contractors, and vendors are healthy before entering your business by instituting policies and practices to screen for potential coronavirus exposure and signs of illness. The policy should include who is responsible for conducting or reviewing the screening and clear instructions if an individual does not “pass.” Some businesses are instituting a pre-entrance screening questionnaire that includes questions about:

  • Experiencing a fever, cough, or other potential symptoms related to COVID-19.
  • Traveling within the last 14 days to a state experiencing an outbreak.
  • Being in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Provide adequate personal protection equipment (PPE) and other hygiene measures to staff and business visitors. Some possible measures include:

  • Displaying signs reminding staff and visitors to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, stay 6 feet apart, and wear masks.
  • Providing hand sanitizer stations at the door for staff and clientele.
  • Requiring and providing masks or face shields to your staff.
  • Offering masks to clients and customers at the door if they do not have their own.
  • Adding floor markers or cones to maintain queues where individuals are 6 feet or more apart.
  • Establishing and executing a rigorous cleaning protocol.
  • Developing a policy to close and disinfect your business premises if staff, clientele,

We are here for you.

Call (914-946-2889) or email us at Francis J. Malara or Anne Penachio with any questions or for a free consultation.

Additional Resources

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers .

The National Federation of Independent Businesses has a comprehensive Small Business FAQ section , including on issues surrounding reopening.

The New York State Department of Health has a Novel Coronavirus Information page .

Read the Workplace Rights and COVID-19 Fact Sheet by the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) for a summary of city, state, and federal laws that protect employees.

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