Shortly after many communities shut down businesses and schools, etc., we were called upon by our business clients to provide them with a safe framework from which to do business. We set out to craft a plan to safeguard the health of business employees and customers, and do so without incurring crippling liabilities.

Our First effort involved harnessing as much of the known scientific knowledge and mainstream thought as we could and incorporate that into a businesses’ contingency plan. We next incorporated documents that would serve as checklists for companies to ensure safe practices, crafted agreements that businesses could have their subcontractors sign and adhere to (including among other things weekly testing of subcontractors employees, and a signed pledge, verified each week, that the employees have not been exposed to certain conditions, or suffered certain symptoms.

While state and federal government failed to quickly insulate the workplace from Covid liability, we went to work investigating and crafting reasonable steps that could be taken to ensure a safe and secure work environment, including workplace rules and regulations for social distancing, daily sworn documentation of non-exposure, how to enter and exit a workplace, how to sanitize it and how to ensure the spacing of people throughout offices, etc. We counseled businesses as to the type of chemicals to use in keeping their premises clean, the frequency of cleaning, temperature taking and rules on hand washing.

We paid perhaps the most attention to those businesses that could not function, and in fact would go out of business, if they were unable to have their workforce enter customer premises or homes to perform services or deliver materials.

One formula that we believe was most effective was a deliberate effort to assure customers that meaningful steps had been taken for their safety. One business we counseled sent out the notice to customers on the day before a scheduled visit to remind them of the business’ focus on safety, and careful attention to the range of solutions it employed. Customers gained confidence through these creative efforts to ensure as much normality as possible.

We are happy to report that all of the businesses that we’ve counseled, who depend upon working in or on the customers premises or home, are doing well and holding their own, and we’re proud of them.

By David Markarian