How to roll out new COVID-19 safety protocols at your workplace

The business community is buzzing about employee vaccinations. This hot topic is top of mind as countries around the world roll out workplace vaccination program guidelines. The end goal of these programs is simple: protect employees, their families, and visitors to the workplace. In an August 2021 survey, Envoy found that the majority of employees are comfortable with vaccine mandates at work. In fact, 60% percent would prefer workplace vaccine requirements.Many companies have adopted different policies for their employees; there is no one right way to roll out new policies—especially ones that impact the health and safety of everyone on-site.

The good news is that there are now tools to easily and securely verify proof of vaccination. Read on to learn how to uplevel your COVID-19 safety protocols and stay in compliance with proof of vaccination efforts.

Step 1: Understand if and how government mandates affect your company

If you are based in the US, you're probably familiar with the mandate for any employers with 100 or more employees will need to ensure their people are vaccinated or tested weekly to come on-site.  But the US isn't the only country rolling out nationwide guidelines. It’s essential to understand how this affects your company so you are prepared when the federal mandate goes into effect. This will ensure your organization remains compliant and avoids any costly legal issues. Do your research to understand if your workplace is impacted by any regulations.

Step 2: Implement a seamless and secure way for employees to submit their proof of vaccination or test results

Understanding government mandates is just the first step toward a safe reopening. Next is creating the process for employees to submit proof of vaccination or test results. You’ll want to have a sound system that helps you verify employee documents, like their vaccine cards or test results, while also keeping their personal information private and secure. Be sure to invest in a process that is scalable so you don’t unnecessarily waste your team’s time. With Envoy Protect, your employees can submit their proof of vaccination or their negative COVID test result by uploading a photo of their document for admins to review. Once approved, employees will be automatically cleared to work on-site so they can skip the hassle of a daily health check.Only designated admins can view and approve documents so personal information always stays secure. Admins can also configure data retention options to keep this information private as well.

Step 3: Create a written policy

Once you have your new process, it’s always smart to have an official written policy for your employees to refer to. This is especially true for new health and safety protocols. A clearly written policy should detail the new requirements for the organization, context and reasoning why the new process exists, and the consequences if someone does not comply with the policy. This might include:

• What documentation your company requires and why
• Any local or federal mandates that your organization must meet
• A process for employees to submit required documentation (bonus points for a step-by-step guide or video)
• Details on storage and retention of the information
• Time frames for current and new hires to comply
• A system for religious and disability accommodation requests
• What happens if an employee fails to comply

Make sure you store the policy in a place that is easily accessible to all employees.

Step 4: Roll out the new process to employees

With your new process in place and a clearly written policy, it’s time to let your employees know. Be sure to communicate the new policy in many ways to ensure that everyone sees and understands it—and leave the door open for questions. Your communication plan should include a memo over email, a message in Slack or whatever messenger app your company uses, and an announcement in a company-wide meeting. Over-communication is key here! Need help rolling out Envoy’s proof of vaccination to your employees? We’ve created a template with a step-by-step guide and video walkthrough to show to your team.