CIRAS exists to improve Iowa businesses by helping them identify research-proven best practices. Following are a collection of tips and links designed to point your company to the best possible information for navigating the current pandemic. For more, visit our site at www.ciras.iastate.edu/covid-19/.
Getting Started:
- For general information about COVID-19 and the current state of the pandemic, see websites at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Iowa Department of Public Health.
- For the basics of protecting your employees:
- If you learn of COVID-19 exposure at your business, consult this CIRAS Responding to an Exposure checklist for the best ways to temporarily shut down and clean your facility.
- Move as many job functions (e.g. office/admin) to remote working arrangements as possible. See this CIRAS checklist for Supporting an Effective Telecommuting Workforce.
- For those unable to work remotely, consider best practices for Screening Employees and visitors.
- Additionally, this CIRAS Protecting Your Business checklist can help you develop plans for handling staff, visitors, and employee illness.
Staying Open During the Recovery
- For assistance navigating the multitude of federal and state recovery programs, visit the CIRAS guide to COVID-19 Financial Resources.
- Consult the CIRAS checklist on Understanding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFRCA) to learn more about how this federal expansion of emergency family and medical leave could impact your employees and your business.
- For more information about stay-at-home orders and how they might impact your company, see this CIRAS guide to What is an Essential Business?
- For best practices involving social distancing, cleaning, and scheduling issues at your facility, see this CIRAS has a checklist on Operations Management Best Practices.
- For help in navigating shortages, CIRAS has assembled lists of Iowa companies that can be used as emergency sources of PPE products, hand sanitizer, and cleaning services.
Longer Term Response
- For best responses to current and future supply chain issues, see this CIRAS checklist on Supply Chain Disruption Planning.
Additional Resources:
The above links and others can be found at: www.ciras.iastate.edu/COVID-19
For help responding to the COVID-19 emergency or implementing a response plan, contact:
Marc Schneider (563-221-1596, maschn@iastate.edu) or Mike O’Donnell (515-509-4379, modonnll@iastate.edu)