As monkeypox spreads, should employers be concerned? - Janet Candido interviewed by OHS Canada

Read the the full article in OHS Canada.

Monkeypox is now active and spreading in Canada, with 26 confirmed cases according to the most recent data from the Public Health Agency of Canada. With more than 250 reported cases in 23 countries – and on-going studies and discoveries about the disease – it may leave employers wondering about risks to their business, particularly as we’re just returning to normal following two plus years of COVID protocols.

More sick time likely

According to Janet Candido, founder and principal of Candido Consulting Group, the impact to business will circle back to the likelihood that more sick time will be taken – whether paid or unpaid – and that the anxiety about a new virus lurking can develop disruptive behavior in employees, in turn “impacting everybody’s ability to get the work done.”

The workplace landscape shows that employers and employees have gradually adjusted to the new ways business is done – hybrid work, and mask requirements included. However, Candido noted there are still “a significant number of employees who are less enthusiastic about returning to work.”

“There are a few reasons to that, and the main factors remain as the fear of getting sick and the unwillingness to adjust what has been comfortable for them in the past two years. It’s both specific to fear and comfort level,” said Candido.

With the spread of the monkeypox virus, Candido said it is vital for employers to keep communication to keeping safety procedures in place and recognize that not everybody in their workforce is ready to come back to work “like it was 2019 again.”