We would like to speak to you about business resiliency during the pandemic of COVID-19. While the risk in Alberta is still low, more and more confirmed and suspected cases are being advised daily. There are things you can do in your business to minimize the impact of this pandemic to your business operations, and to keep you and your staff safe.
Obviously the first thing is to follow the guidelines set out by Alberta Health Services surrounding hygiene and cleanliness. Hand washing, not touching your face and keeping frequently used surfaces clean will help greatly in reducing the spread of the virus. In addition, should you or your staff feel any of the symptoms, or have travelled outside of the country recently, it is recommended to self isolate for 14 days. With this in mind, we recommend you review your policies surrounding vacation and sick leave. Have an open conversation with your staff and management. Discuss your policies and review the AHS guidelines on how to reduce the spread of the virus. Recently the Federal government announced changes to EI for those impacted with COVID-19. We will be placing the information on the chamber website for you to review and familiar yourselves with.
While you are reviewing documents and policies there are 2 other items you should look at. Firstly, your insurance policy. Many of business insurances have business interruption insurance in case of emergency when your normal business operations cannot occur. Review the policy and inquire how COVID-19 and potential business interruptions can be mitigated.
Another item to review is your businesses contingency plan, your what to do in case of the worst case plan. If you do not have one, we have posted a link on the website blog to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s pandemic preparedness discussion. You will find many useful items there to help prepare your business now and into the future.
Again, while the risk is still considered low in Alberta, this can change at any point and we all need to be diligent. Above all, remain calm, wash your hands and take the necessary steps to protect you, your business, and employees.
We will continue to update everyone with valid information as it becomes available over the coming days and weeks. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.