5 steps bosses in open offices should take to keep employees safe and anxiety-free during a health scare

• As the new coronavirus spreads in the US, many employers are developing action plans to help prevent the illness at work.
• Business Insider compiled a list of steps for managers to follow if they want to reduce germs in the office based on information from career experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Debora Roland, the vice president of human resources at CareerArc, told Business Insider that being flexible with sick leave and remote work policies will help prevent the spread of illness.
• Click here for more BI Prime content.

As fear over the new coronavirus spreads, companies are asking employees to work remotely or stay out of the office if they are feeling under the weather.

But employees still come into work sick. Data from staffing firm Accountemps found that 90% of professionals have come into work with cold or flu symptoms at some point.

If you work in an open office (the popular workspace without dividers like cubicles or individual offices), the potential to spread germs could be even greater. New research from the PR firm Bospar found that half of Americans worry about contracting coronavirus because they work in an open office. And about 52.9% believe open offices will lead to an increase in coronavirus infections.

But there are steps managers should take in the workplace to ensure employees don't spread germs.

Business Insider used guidance from the CDC and spoke with Debora Roland, the vice president of human resources at CareerArc, an HR technology company, to compile a list of the steps managers should be taking to prevent the spread of illness at work.

Send sick employees home

The CDC recommends that if employees are displaying signs of respiratory illness (coughing and shortness of breath), or if they have a high fever, they should be sent home immediately. Sick workers shouldn't return to the office until they are free of symptoms for at least 24 hours.

At CareerArc, Roland told leaders to be on the look out for employees who may be sick. Managers should pull aside any employee who is under the weather and ask if they'd like to work from home or take a sick day, she said.

"There's no pride to be taken in coming into work sick," Roland said.

Be flexible

Let employees work from home if they're feeling under the weather. Establishing a telecommuting policy and other flexible work policies, where possible, will also keep illness out of the workplace, CDC said.

Roland said flexible working is part of the company's strategy for dealing with coronavirus and other seasonal illnesses.

"It's really a time to be considerate of employees to make sure that you're taking care of your people as best you can," she said.

The CDC also recommends that employers don't require a doctor's note from employees who claim to be sick with respiratory symptoms. Healthcare providers are extremely busy, and may not be able to provide documentation in a timely manner, CDC said.

Emphasize personal hygiene

Encourage employees to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer in the office. Putting up posters around the office is one way to remind employees to do this, the CDC said. Companies should also keep tissues, hand sanitizer, and soap fully stocked at all times. Roland, for example, ordered hand sanitizer for her office.

It's important to educate all employees on personal hygiene to keep others in the office from getting sick, Roland said. "My main concern is for them and making sure they're educated and that they know how to manage the environment," she said.

Keep it clean

Routinely cleaning will help the workplace stay germ free. Workstations, countertops, and door knobs should all be regularly disinfected, the CDC said. Providing disposable disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer can help employees clean their work areas and their hands.

Stop the spread of misinformation

Employers should anticipate that anxiety and rumors could lead to misinformation spreading around the office about the coronavirus, the CDC said. Because of this, CDC said it's important that companies establish a clear communication plan for relaying information about the coronavirus to workers.

It is the responsibility of managers and HR teams to work to quell any office gossip or misinformation that spreads, Susan Gross Sholinksy, an attorney at law firm Epstein Becker Green, told Human Resources Executive.

"So as to avoid the spread of misinformation, HR should endeavor to ensure that employees aren't sharing false information or gossiping about others," she said.