Suggested Guidelines for Employers

Suggested Guidelines for Employers

  • Encourage those that are sick or not feeling well (especially with a respiratory issue) to stay home and not go to the workplace.
  • Make handwashing / sanitizing facilities, complete with running water and soap, available at the workplace and ensure all persons entering use them prior to entry. Liquid soap may be better than a bar of soap because multiple hands come into contact with the bar of soap.   
  • Encourage employees to wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and warm water upon arrival at the workplace as well as frequently throughout the day. Provide paper towels or a clean dedicated towel for each worker that only the worker should use.  If using cloth towels, wash them daily to prevent the spread of germs and possible illness.
  • Provide hand sanitizer so that if soap and water are not available, people have access to hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Routinely clean and disinfect surfaces that people frequently touch.
  • Make sure that common areas such as toilets, kitchens and vestibules are well ventilated and open.
  • Require everyone who enters the workplace to wear a mask and that it covers both their mouth and nose. Provide extra clean masks for those that do not have a mask.  Make sure to have everyone track their own mask so no cross contamination occurs.
  • Limit large gatherings.
  • Maintain social distancing of a minimum of one meter. Ensure that employees sit and/or stand at least one meter apart.  If necessary, rearrange the work stations.  If the space is small, then consider rotating employees every other day (or other intervals) as long as the workplace is deeply cleaned and sanitized every evening or early morning in order to avoid sharing of germs.
  • Delay anything that cause employees to gather in one place where they would be located close to each other until the outbreak is over. If that is not possible, then try to hold the activity outdoors and have it last for a short period of time.
  • Rooms and offices should be well ventilated and, if possible, the distance between employees should be at least one meter.
  • Provide a waiting area for clients in the open air and try to be one meter away from each other. Avoid accepting a large number of clients at one time and in one place and try to divide the clients into different branches and keep them apart.
  • Ask your employees to report if they have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 or the flu. Maintain a log.
  • Ensure you have a master log of all workers’ names, addresses, phone numbers, and/or email addresses so that you can contact them in the event you need to notify them if one of your workers has been infected with COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
  • Given flu season is approaching, encourage workers to get the flu shot.
  • Avoid business travel as much as possible, especially to provinces where COVID-19 disease has been found.
  • Those employees who have been in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient and do not have signs and symptoms, the business must allow such staff to be in home quarantine for 14 days and must not report to office. 
    1. The person should be in a separate room as much as possible and if this is not possible, consider a minimum distance of 1-3 meters in all situations with all people at the workplace.
    2. Avoid touching objects that others come in contact with as much as possible and do not share personal items such as sheets, soap, plates, and towels.
    3. Wash your hands with soap and warm water every half-hour for at least 20 seconds.
    4. Cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief or tissue while coughing and sneezing.
    5. Avoid going to public places such as mosques, bazaars, hospitals, etc. If you have COVID-19 symptoms (see table below), call 166 and follow the instructions.
  • Follow the advice and guidance put forward by the Ministry of Public Health and the officials of Ministry of Public Health. For updates, refer to the website of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH.gov.af).  Guidance (e.g. wash your hands, do not touch your eyes and mouth, etc.) provided by the Ministry of Health should be posted in visible areas for staff to read.