In this regard, the Authority explained that the guideline aims to ensure the protection of premises and work environments against the spread of diseases and epidemics, and to establish a mechanism for dealing with employees infected with COVID -19 virus in the workplace, as well as suspected cases or those in contact with infected persons. It also aims to familiarize federal entities and their employees with the procedures to be followed in cases of infection, suspicion, and contact with patients, as well as clarify the roles and responsibilities of those involved in dealing with the matter.

The Authority urged the federal entities to deal with confirmed or suspected cases by taking a set of measures. These include providing necessary logistical support to protect employees and customers, adherence to all measures and precautionary measures issued periodically by the competent authorities, coordinating with health authorities to take patients or suspected cases from workplaces to hospitals for tests and identify those in contact with confirmed and suspected cases, and isolate the injured and suspects in special locations in the workplace until they are transferred to the hospital.

Other measures that the federal entities must take in this regard include: supporting employees’ commitment to guidelines for prevention and hygiene, ensuring the availability of appropriate health requirements according to the nature of the entity’s work, and educating employees and customers about all developments related to the precautionary measures and procedures, through the use of available technical means.

Role of HR Departments

The guideline defines a set of responsibilities to be carried out by human resources departments in the ministries and federal entities. They must isolate  the employee with confirmed or suspected COVID -19 in temporary quarantines within workplaces, and communicate with the concerned health authorities to report the case. They have to implement all procedures issued by the competent health authorities until the patient is transferred by health care professionals, evacuate employees and customers from the office areamof the infected, ensuring that the rest of the employees have not exposed themselves to danger of the pandemic.

The guideline requires HR departments to inform the senior management in the federal entity and competent medical authorities of any infected or suspected case immediately, as well as provide information of persons in contact with the case as soon as possible, and conduct a comprehensive sterilization, including the work area or office of the infected and facilities used by him immediately.

In addition, the departments should conduct necessary testing for those in contact with confirmed and suspected COVID-19, and ask them to stay at home for a period of not less than 3 days, coordinate remote work for employees who have had close contact with infected persons or suspected of having COVID-19 during the isolation period, and conduct necessary testing   for them after the end of isolation period to ensure their safety before returning to work in the workplace. The cases and their results to be recorded in the case register approved by the federal entity.

Responsibilities of Line Manager

The guidelines defines the responsibilities of the line manager as follows: inform the HR Department immediately in the event that he comes to know of an infection case or contact by one of his employees with another with coronavirus.

He must also inform the HR Department of any employee traveling outside the country or when he/she returns back to work starts work, as well as ensure that the employee adheres to the requirements of health authorities in the country by  conducting the necessary tests, and inform the employee if the result is positive.

The line manager’s responsibilities also include following up the performance of remote employees and making sure that the tests are carried out before they resume regular work.

Employee responsibilities

According to the guideline, the employee must follow the health procedures  issued by the competent health authorities with regard to preventive measures when feeling any symptoms, report any travel, return back and contact cases if any.

The employee should present a report of the test result after returning to the country and before starting work, inform the line manager and director of HR Dept when he feels any symptoms similar to Covid- 19, inform them of all the places he visited in the federal entity, as well as of employees contact with at the workplace. He must conduct a medical test immediately upon knowledge of contact or feeling any of the general symptoms of coronavirus or when his employer asks him to do so.

Scope of application

The guideline applies to all civil employees working in the federal entities, also including external customers.