WorkJam, a mobile and web-based digital workplace, has created a health check tool designed to help reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus as employees return to the physical workplace.
WorkJam’s app, which can be used on desktop or mobile devices, is meant to simplify the compliance process for businesses looking to reopen and get their employees back to work, while also ensuring their safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that employers implement daily health checks and social distancing, while also encouraging employees to wear face masks. Individual states and municipalities may also have their own regulations.
It is critical that companies unable to do business remotely follow all state, local, and CDC guidelines, says Mike Zorn, vice president of workplace strategy at WorkJam.
“The beauty of this tool is it allows the employer to be able to put into the health check what they need in order to be in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations,” Zorn says.
The app will prompt an employee to complete a series of questions before they begin their shift. Common questions include: Do you have a fever? Have you been exposed to anyone that you know has COVID-19? It also asks if an employee who has been travelling has been quarantined for 14 days. If the employee answers yes to any of these questions, they will be redirected to a message of their employer’s choosing, such as ‘it’s best to work remotely.’
Additional actions such as tasks and training videos can also be added to the system. For example, when an employee is leaving work, they can be prompted to clean their desk, with an accompanying video on how to do so most effectively.
“This tool is trying to empower the employee to take control of their life, but give a sense of security to the employer that what they’re asking is being properly done,” Zorn says.
The app also allows employers to put out an announcement if an employee does begin to exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. The employer can use it to inform coworkers that they may have been exposed to the virus without compromising the employee’s anonymity.
WorkJam is not the only company that has developed an app geared towards employee safety during the pandemic. GMV, which provides services ranging from consulting to software development, recently launched an app called Covclear that includes a daily health check. Similarly, SysAid, a provider of IT service management solutions, launched its Worksafe app, which requires employees to submit daily reports on their health status.
WorkJam’s app currently has approximately two million customer users worldwide, across a variety of industries including healthcare, manufacturing and retail.
“As a good employer you have to take steps that [ensure your employees] are taking care of themselves and that they’re not coming to work unhealthy,” Zorn says. “It’s an employer’s responsibility to have a way to get people to certify they are healthy, keep track of it, and keep [that information] private.”
