Universal Guidelines For Employers and Employees PDF

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Universal Guidelines for All New Hampshire

Employers and Employees
For All Businesses:
The Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force recommends protocols for safeguarding
all New Hampshire businesses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
These guidelines apply to businesses that have been deemed essential and remained open
during the “Stay at Home Order” and those that are re-opening.
This guidance is based on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To ensure the safety of all Granite Staters and to
reduce the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on businesses, workers, and customers, all
employers and employees should take steps to reopen safely. This guidance is based on
what is currently known about COVID-19 and is intended to protect the public’s health and
allow New Hampshire to remain open for business.
Businesses and their employees should follow guidance issued by the CDC, as well as any
applicable federal or state regulatory requirements to reduce transmission among
employees and customers; maintain healthy business operations; and maintain a healthy
work environment. In addition to these general guidelines for all Granite State employers
and employees, each business should refer to and follow their industry-specific guidance,
as those guidelines are set forth.
Employers:
1.) Employees who are sick or not feeling well must stay home, and they should
notify their supervisor by phone. Possible symptoms of COVID-19 include:
o Fever
o Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, cough, or
shortness of breath
o Flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches, chills, and severe fatigue
o Changes in a person’s sense of taste or smell
2. Develop a process for screening all employees reporting for work for COVID-19
related symptoms:
 Identify a location and assign a person who will screen each employee every
day before they enter the work-place. Such plans should be clearly
communicated with employees. The person performing the screening should
wear a cloth face covering/mask. All employees (see guidance below) should
also wear a cloth face covering while at work and in potential close contact
with others.
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 The screener should ask the following questions:

- Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
- Have you had a fever or felt feverish in the last 72 hours?
- Are you experiencing any respiratory symptoms including a runny nose, sore
throat, cough, or shortness of breath?
- Are you experiencing any new muscle aches or chills?
- Have you experienced any new change in your sense of taste or smell?
 Document the temperature of all employees daily before their shift:

- Employers should take the temperatures of their employees on-site with a
non-touch thermometer each day upon the employees arrival at work.
- If this is not possible, temperatures can be taken before arriving as long as it
can sufficiently be authenticated by the employee. Normal temperature
should not exceed 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Handling of employee(s) who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. Answers “yes” to

any of the screening questions or who is found to have a fever):
Instruct the employee to leave the premises immediately and to seek medical
advice (see employee guidance below). Per EEOC and other pertinent guidelines,
employers must maintain the confidentiality of employee health information.
Prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace. Do not make

determinations of health risk or health status based on race or country of origin.
4. Frequent hand hygiene should be strongly promoted and alcohol-based hand

sanitizer should be made readily available:
Monitor employee hand washing or use of hand sanitizer and encourage
frequent hand hygiene. If possible, employers should make available individual
bottles of hand sanitizer to each employee and place hand sanitizer in frequently
visited locations for both employees and customers.
5. Implement workplace cleaning and disinfection practices: These practices
should follow CDC guidelines with regular sanitation of high-moderate touch
surfaces at least every two hours. Develop policies for worker protection and
provide training to all staff prior to assigning cleaning tasks.
6. Mitigate exposure: Reduce the risk to employers and employees in the

workplace by supporting the use of cloth face coverings in areas where social
distancing is difficult to maintain, implementing social distancing guidelines,
and modified employee schedules, where possible, to reduce the number of
physical interactions. Meetings, for example, should be conducted by phone or
computer conferencing applications when able; in-person meetings should be
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limited and employees should maintain a safe distance of at least 6 feet from
others at all times.
Employers should also take steps to limit self-servicer options. For example,
customer samples, communal packaging, food/beverages (e.g. candy dishes,
common creamers at coffee stations).
Promote etiquette for coughing, sneezing and handwashing. Provide employees
and the public with tissues, no-touch trash cans, soap and water, and hand
sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Discourage workers from using other
workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when
possible.
If an employee becomes sick during the day, they should be sent home
immediately. Surfaces in their workspace should be cleaned and disinfected.
7. Allow Employees to work from home as much as practical: Work from home
policies assist in limiting exposure and maintaining social distancing. This is
encouraged as much as possible which still allowing a business to open.
8. Plan for potential COVID-19 cases: Implement plans to continue your essential
business functions in case you experience higher than usual absenteeism.
Employers should work with state and local officials when needed to monitor
and investigate cases of COVID-19. In all cases, they should work in a manner to
ensure privacy rights.
9. Covered employers and employees should be reminded of the provisions of the

federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act: This law allows for paid sick
leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons, such as for
self-quarantining or seeking a medical diagnosis for COVID-19 symptoms.
10. Update the Employee Illness Policy: Review policies to make sure that policies
and practices are consistent with public health recommendations and are
consistent with existing state and federal workplace laws. Employers should
amend or update their internal policies to include symptoms of COVID-19 or
create a COVID-19 specific policy. Maintain flexible, non-punitive policies that
permit employees to stay home if ill or to care for a sick family member. These
policies should incorporate any sector specific recommendations by the state of
New Hampshire. All staff should sign the policy, and the policy should be posted
for confirmation.
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11. Communicate frequently with both employees and customers about steps being
taken to prevent spread of COVID-19 in the workplace: Employers should
communicate expectations to employees with recommendations on steps
everybody can take steps to prevent spread of COVID-19. Post extensive signage
on health policies, including the following documents in the workplace to help
educate building occupants on COVID-19 best practices. Communicate with
customers about steps being taken to protect them from COVID-19 exposure in
the workplace.
Employees:
1.) Stay home when feeling ill: Employees who have symptoms (see list of
symptoms above) should notify their supervisor and stay home. When exposed
to COVID-19 or if diagnosed with COVID-19, employees must stay home.
Exceptions can be made for asymptomatic exposed employees who are NOT
diagnosed with COVID-19 if they are considered essential workers, and these
individuals could return to work only with approval from public health officials
and their employer after certain protections have been put in place.
Employees who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 according to the CDC,

either due to age or underlying health conditions are encouraged to consider
their individual risk and whether they are safer to work from home.
2. Employees who develop symptoms of COVID-19, even mild symptoms, should

consult their primary care providers about COVID-19 testing, or seek testing
through one of the public testing options, such as through a State-run testing
center, local health department, or ConvenientMD.
3. Increase hygiene practices, including:

- Wash hands and use hand sanitizer frequently
- Avoid touching the face, eyes or mouth
- Practice good respiratory etiquette. This includes coughing and sneezing into
a tissue or your elbow rather than into your hands.
4. Wear a cloth face covering: While at work and in public, employees should wear
a cloth face covering to help protect against the spread of the virus. Employees
should review the CDC’s guidance on use of cloth face coverings. Medical-grade
masks should be reserved for healthcare workers or first responders.
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5. Practice social distancing: To the greatest extent possible, all employees should
maintain safe social distancing, which means keeping a distance of at least 6 or
more feet between one another at all times.
6. Abide by employer, local and state guidelines: Employees should follow all
guidelines issued by their employer, local or state officials. This may include the
use of gloves, social distancing practices and increased sanitation and
disinfection practices.
As previously noted, these guidelines are to be followed in addition to the industry specific
guidelines. Industry-specific guidelines have been created with the input of private sector
working groups in partnership with the Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force.
Protocols are subject to change and may be released on a rolling basis. New Hampshire
companies doing business in the state should follow this guidance and other best practices
set forth in this document.
To learn more, please visit the New Hampshire COVID-19 website for the latest COVID-19
information, resources and guidance: https://www.nh.gov/covid19/ or
https://businesshelp.nheconomy.com/hc/en-us.
Revised 4/28/20
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Universal Guidelines for All New Hampshire

 The screener should ask the following questions:

 Document the temperature of all employees daily before their shift:

3. Handling of employee(s) who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. Answers “yes” to

Prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace. Do not make

4. Frequent hand hygiene should be strongly promoted and alcohol-based hand

6. Mitigate exposure: Reduce the risk to employers and employees in the

9. Covered employers and employees should be reminded of the provisions of the

Employees who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 according to the CDC,

2. Employees who develop symptoms of COVID-19, even mild symptoms, should

3. Increase hygiene practices, including:

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