Employers Can Swat Zika Concerns with Education Push

Education is key in keeping employees informed and protected from the threat of the Zika virus, experts say.  Photo credit: Ilmicrofono Oggiono

 

As news of the Zika virus spreads, so too are the concerns of employers whose employees travel for work internationally as well as domestically or who may be working in high-risk jobs.

Employers should educate themselves and their employees regarding the virus through information provided by organizations including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the World Health Organization, said Suzanne Fahl, HR editor at ThinkHR.

“There is so much fear in that four-letter word 'Zika' and there's so much lack of knowledge,” Fahl said. “The Zika virus is really not that scary. In fact, it's less intimidating than the common flu.”

Still, employers should take the virus seriously. Rather than allowing fear to shape their decisions, take the time to educate employees on preventative measures and on the symptoms, Fahl said.

Since only 20 percent of people who have contracted the virus show symptoms, it's important to educate people who may have contracted the virus without knowing it. Also helpful to a traveling employee may be a Zika prevention kit, with items like a bed net to use while sleeping, as well as repellent spray.

Putting all the important information in an agreement, like a disclaimer waiver, is a best practice consideration, said Fahl. Employers can use this to make sure the employee acknowledges that he or she has received all the information and understands any risks when traveling for business.

What's likely more important when sending a traveling employee to an area known to have the virus, said Fahl, is the employee's return and testing to see make sure they are Zika-free. If a male employee has contracted the virus, he should make sure to abstain from unprotected sex for six months; if an infected female employee plans to become pregnant, she should speak with her doctor and wait an appropriate amount of time before trying to conceive, Fahl said.

Employers can also protect pregnant employees from contracting Zika by allowing them to do a different job (under the reasonable accommodation rule of the Americans With Disabilities Act) or take a leave of absence, Fahl said.

Occupations including outdoor workers, those in mosquito control, health care or working in laboratories are at an increased risk of contracting the virus, Fahl noted.

Promoting best practices and guidance can help lessen an employee's fears.

“Every employer has the responsibility to ensure the comfort and safety of every worker,” said Fahl.

Rebecca Bernhard, a labor and employment attorney at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney, agreed that as important as it is to educate yourself and employees on the Zika virus and preventative measures, it's also wise not to overreact.

A scared employee can't simply refuse to come to work over concerns about illness.

“Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, an employee may refuse to work due to safety concerns at the workplace, as long as those concerns are reasonable,” she commented. “[But] at this point, concerns about contracting Zika are probably not reasonable concerns that would allow an employee to refuse to come to work.”

There's only one area in the United States where Zika has been discovered, she added - the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. Outside of that area, contracting Zika on the job is relatively minimal.

Andie Burjek is a Workforce associate editor. Comment below, or email at aburjek@humancapitalmedia.com. Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.

 

 

 

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