Due to the nature of a microbusiness and the constantly evolving news concerning Covid-19 as well as the Covid vaccine, it’s been difficult to create a Covid policy for my employees. I’d like to take you through what I’ve experienced along the way.
At the Beginning of the Covid Pandemic
When Covid first hit in January of 2020, like many people, I approached the pandemic as though it was the Zombie Apocalypse. I wore a mask while driving and kept my car’s air conditioning on recirculate to make certain that the virus-infected air from the car in front of me wouldn’t creep into my vehicle and infect me. My paranoia got so bad that I had to stop wearing my wedding ring because I was using so much hand sanitizer that it would get underneath the ring and blister my finger.
Like all microbusinesses, I was ill-prepared for the pandemic. Even though I have a degree in Bacteriology and Public Health (Washington State University, 1980), I was at a total loss on how to best approach the pandemic and what I should do to keep my employees safe while still conducting business. I turned to the internet for guidance, like so many others. I can only imagine what microbusiness owners without a science background must have gone through! I ended up creating a three-page document that was difficult to follow…..and, keep in mind, this was pre-vaccine!
How Things Have Changed and the Conundrum
Now, more than a year and a half has passed. We have the vaccine and know much more about Covid itself. I just redid my business’s Covid policy to include a strong recommendation to get the vaccine, social distancing with a mask, and quarantining if you feel sick. If you need some guidance to come up with a policy of your own, the Department of Labor’s website has some helpful advice. In addition, the Weston, Massachusetts Public Health Department has a great flow chart for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated individuals, and Central District Health offers a Covid-19 Isolation and Quarantine Calculator. Use these resources to come up with a Covid plan to suit your needs and the needs of your microbusiness, or you can look at the policy that I created for my microbusiness, Bionomics Environmental, Inc.
Now comes the conundrum. There have been issues with people not wanting to get the vaccine. In addition, some don’t want to disclose whether they received the vaccine or not, which is totally legal according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). In addition, due to how few employees microbusinesses have, I can’t enforce a vaccine mandate because I cannot afford to lose some of my key employees. All I can do is pray for everybody’s health.
Do you want to know more about starting up a microbusiness or running yours a little smoother? You can now order a downloadable or print copy of my book here. In addition, if you have any questions concerning starting or running a microbusiness, feel free to email me at dave@surefiremicrobusinessguide.com. I may feature your question in a future blog.
