Long Covid is affecting business; Workplace hospitality can help.

Three years after the pandemic began, millions of working-age people are still suffering from chronic COVID-19, and some lawmakers and advocates, including those with chronic Covid, say not enough is being done to ensure they can stay safe and continue. to hire.

The proposed federal law, advocates say, could lead to better workplace accommodations and more federal funding. Reducing the spread of covid will help prevent more people from contracting covid or worsening health conditions they already have.

Long covid of Multiple choice Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, rapid heart rate and brain fog, and for some people these symptoms may come and go. Challenges in obtaining a diagnosis due to the similarity of other medical conditions and other barriers make it difficult for employers to document their illness.

“There are inconsistencies in how often Covid is reported and investigated, as employers are often unsure how to proceed, which can directly affect whether or not accommodations are provided,” said Tracy DeFreitas, director of training, services and outreach for the Work Accommodation Network (JAN), funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. Consultancy services for employers. “…people can have a variety of symptoms that could be caused by other health conditions, and health care providers may not include other types of treatment first.”

DeFreitas said Jane’s practical guidance is that employers should not get caught up in determining whether a person has a long-term Covid-19 disability, because federal agencies, including Department of Health and Human Services and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission They made it clear that he might be disabled. Employers should instead focus on making accommodations for workers, she said.

with consideration 16 million people As long-term effects of Covid on the working-age population have been reported, economists say there are long-term implications for the US economy if workplace needs are not addressed.

The long-term total cost of Covid to the US economy is a staggering number. Last year, A Harvard University Economist It raised the original estimate by trillions to $3.7 trillion, of which $997 billion came from lost revenue. In addition, studies have confirmed that there are people with long-term covid Work 50% less hours And Income is on average 18% less In one year due to illness.

Meanwhile, one January Report Analyzing claims for compensation from the New York State Insurance Fund It found that 31% of claimants are experiencing or have had prolonged covid. The data, according to the report, highlighted “an underappreciated reason for many unfilled jobs and declining labor force participation rates since the outbreak.”

While those lost earnings can reduce housing costs, the decline in labor force participation has led many employers to raise wages, leading to higher inflation.

Katie Brach, with Brookings InstitutionWriting the case for more policy initiatives and workplace accommodations to allow longer working hours for Covid patients.”Long covid It is already a significant drag on America’s economic performance and household financial health. And in the absence of intervention, the situation could have been worse.

Do not leave the epidemic accommodation

Shelby Seier runs her own consulting practice at All Kinds of Accessibility Consulting in Omaha, Nebraska, where she advises employers on how to provide accommodations, including for people with long-term covid. Sayer, who is disabled and has a chronic illness, has had a long history of Covid since he contracted Covid-19 last year.

“On a personal level, it was mentally debilitating to adjust my plans and constantly wake up and not be able to do the things I wanted to do,” she says. “It’s heartbreaking and completely isolating, and not being able to stay on top of emails for days in a row, which is something I’ve been able to do before, is a very sad experience. He said.

Sayer, who has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since childhood, says running her own business has allowed her to make accommodations for her needs. Her experience informs her work with clients; Showing how to make accommodations that previous workplaces would not give her.

“A lot of my work is about convincing people not to give up all the nice accommodations that can be easily or perhaps easily implemented during a pandemic like flexible work schedules, virtual options, and reducing your team’s labor volume. It does,” she said.

Sayer added that disability awareness and inclusion training can be a critical step for employers to prevent poor communication and workplace incompetence.

“The team should know how to communicate with a changing person and it should be capacity building in terms of learning to understand the onset of acute illness, he said. “I’ve often seen resentment build in an organization if a team member can’t do what they were able to do before without those critical learning components.”

Brian Bass, senior vice president of the workforce absenteeism and disability practice at Sedgwick Global Business Solutions, said many people with COVID may meet the requirements under the ADA, and a mental or physical disability may prevent them from participating in one or more activities. More major life activities including work. Restructuring one’s work with flexible working hours is one way to accommodate a person with prolonged covid.

Some employers may offer intermittent leave as an ADA accommodation when employees with prolonged Covid say they are sick and need time off. Instruction From Jan and the employer help and information network on disability and inclusion. If an employee is not qualified for their current position, employers can train them to remain employed at the company.

A March 9 webinar from Bass, DeFreitas and other shelter experts included solutions to overcome memory gaps, such as providing written instructions, using audio recorders, creating meeting and training minutes, and creating flowcharts to show steps for a specific task. . But most of all, many hospitality professionals say, go straight to the source, to the employee, and ask what help they need and what might work for them.

In addition to JAN’s services to employers and long-standing guidelines for people with disabilities, the Department of Health and Human Services Instruction in August for services and support on the long-term effects of Covid-19, which also provides information to employers. In April, the department Released A comprehensive fact sheet on chronic Covid, workplace interventions and research on chronic Covid.