We require all sick employees to stay home

Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever, signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom altering medicines.  Employees are to notify their team leader and stay home if they are sick.

Separate sick employees

If any employee has shown symptoms of illness, all employees will be required to have their temperature taken prior to working with clients or in client homes.

We appreciate our employees’ dedication to serving our clients, but if an employee reports to work and shows any signs of acute respiratory symptoms (ie. cough, shortness of breath) or becomes sick during the day, they will be separated from other employees and be sent home immediately.  All employees should cover their noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available.)

All employees are expected to use respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene

Employees are required to clean their hands often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60-95% alcohol and/or wash their hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds throughout their shift.

NEXTChapter will provide hand sanitizer and encourage employees to carry and frequently use the hand sanitizer.

Employees are encouraged to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.

Employees may sometimes be asked to wear gloves provided by NEXTChapter in their workplace, especially when soap and water are not readily available.

Perform routine environmental cleaning

Using disinfectant wipes and sprays, employees are to routinely wipe down and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, including but not limited to bags, purses, tools, crates, dolly’s, countertops, light switches, and doorknobs.

NEXTChapter will provide a supply of disinfectant wipes and sprays to staff members.

Additional measures in response to COVID-19 Current Outbreak:

Employees who are well but have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and seek testing to assess their potential exposure.

If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, NEXTChapter should inform fellow employees so they can be tested.

During periods of high outbreaks, employees are asked to comply with social distancing, both during work hours and in their personal time.

NEXTChapter will communicate with staff the disease severity (ie. number of people who are sick, hospitalization, and death rates) in the community.

NEXTChapter will inform employees that many of our clients are at higher risk for severe illness - older adults and those with chronic medical conditions.