Half of businesses not ready for safe return to work

Half of companies are not ready for a safe return to work, as they have no way of monitoring the impact of Covid-19 on employees. The findings came from an exclusive survey of 100 senior HR executives from well-known global brands by e-days.

The news comes as non-essential retailers in the UK prepare to re-open their doors on 15^th June. Stores and shops are expected to put in place stringent physical measures to stop staff or customers being exposed to infection, but HR teams don’t have similar measures in place. In its survey, e-days found that 50% of companies had no way of assessing the impact of Covid-19 on their staff. It also found that many are still relying on paper spreadsheets to log sickness, furlough, and holiday.

In response, e-days has made its sickness management software more widely available to companies, which will help reduce the devastating impact faced by workforces as a result of Covid-19.

The technology, which can integrate with larger company’s existing HR systems if required, allows teams to track and manage, amongst other factors, employee sickness, self-isolation, and furlough. Anyone who displays symptoms can be quickly sent the support they need and told to self-isolate, and simultaneously their team can be alerted to the fact they may have been exposed to the virus. This aims to keep employees as safe as possible and prevent the spread of Covid-19 in offices and workplaces.

e-days has also entered into a partnership with health insurer BHSF to offer an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP); a confidential service that supports employees with any issues that could be affecting their work or personal life. The EAP available via e-days will offer 24/7 telephone counselling and manager support to staff and management alike. Access to an online portal for further health advice will also be available.

Adam Hale, Board Advisor to E-days and Chairman of the ScaleUp Institute, commented: “Early intervention is the only way to avoid long-term damage to your business. Without precise tracking and reporting, your organisation will be unable to spot increased absence and give employees the support they need. I’d urge businesses of all sizes to adopt thorough and reliable sickness management software before they look to bring employees back to a place of work.”

Steve Arnold, e-days’ CEO commented: “Everybody is at risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19; even more so in confined working environments. E-days gives you the case management tools to be proactive and prevent spikes in unplanned sickness absence; alerting managers to workplace Covid-19 cases and helping your team stay safe and productive.”