General guidance for businesses and organizations: COVID-19

Businesses and organizations can choose to develop and follow their own COVID-19 policies and guidelines. Clients and customers should respect these guidelines when entering a business or organization.

Clearly communicate your policies and guidelines to:

• employees;
• clients; and
• members of the public.

To help with communication and compliance you can:

• post signs that remind people to:
  • maintain physical distancing and follow traffic flow;
  • perform proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette; and
  • stay home if sick even if symptoms are mild.
• remove some seating to ensure space between clients; and
• develop and implement a mask policy for your employees, clients and guests.

When you develop policies and guidelines you should consider:

• assessing the risk in your space to promote health and safety in a way that works for your business or organization; and
• equipping people with the tools and resources they need to be safe, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and clear guidance.

• Although the Yukon has an increasing uptake of vaccines, coverage varies by region. Variants that are more transmissible require a higher rate of vaccination to contain the spread than the original virus.
• It's important to consider your clients and staff and the likelihood that they're vaccinated.
• We'll continue to see new cases of COVID-19. Monitoring case activity in the general population and in your community can inform how you operate.
• Any of the following symptoms could indicate the presence of COVID-19 or another respiratory illness:
  • fever or chills;
  • cough; and
  • difficulty breathing.
• Evaluating the 3 Cs can help you understand the potential risk in your work environment and choose when and how you mitigate the risk.
  The 3 Cs are:
  • closed spaces with poor ventilation;
  • crowded places with large numbers of people; and
  • close contact where it’s difficult to physically distance from others.
• Risk increases when the 3 Cs overlap. Conditions where all 3 Cs overlap are particularly high risk.

Find out where people have to show proof that they're vaccinated. 

• The most important step you can take to protect yourself, your staff, clients, social group and community is to get vaccinated.
• Consider encouraging vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza in your workplace.
• Consider reducing barriers to getting vaccinated for your employees, such as allowing time off:
  • to go to a vaccine appointment; and
  • to recover from side effects.

Book your COVID-19 vaccine appointment online.

Find more vaccination information or speak to your health care provider.

• We strongly recommended that adults and children stay home if feeling sick, even if their symptoms are mild.
• Consider continuing to screen employees and clients for symptoms and request that they stay home if they're sick.

If anyone has symptoms

• If you or your staff have symptoms:
  • complete the online self-assessment; or
  • phone 811.

If anyone tests positive

If you or your staff test positive for COVID-19, follow Yukon Communicable Disease Control direction and advice for self-isolation and self-care.

Operational plans reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission by addressing public health measures such as physical distancing, traffic flow, hygiene and sanitation.

We encourage businesses and organizations to continue to use operational plans. We do not need to review your plans. 

If you're planning an organized gathering, view:

• where you have to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask and limits on personal gatherings; and
• operational plan templates.

• Provide options for staff and clients to wash their hands. If soap and water are not available, provide hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol. Thorough hand washing is most effective at reducing the spread of illness.
  • Download the hand-washing notice.
• Consider placing hand sanitizer at entrances for customers and employees to use.
• Encourage people to wash their hands after they exchange money or other items.
• Encourage proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, including:
  • hand-washing;
  • coughing or sneezing into your elbow or tissue;
  • discarding tissues into a lined garbage bin and washing your hands afterwards;
  • using hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol content; and
  • avoiding touching your face.

• Consider regularly cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces and common areas to help lower the spread of infections. These can include:
  • door handles;
  • light switches;
  • counters;
  • faucets;
  • telephones;
  • debit machines; and
  • washrooms.
• Consider implementing a cleaning protocol throughout your facilities. Refer to the cleaning and disinfection guidelines, which you can include in your existing cleaning practices.

You can:

• use floor markers to encourage 1-way traffic flow and physical distancing;
• regulate the number of people you allow in the establishment to ensure everyone's safely spaced;
• post signs and other visual cues to help remind people to maintain physical distancing and follow traffic flow;
• continue to use any plexiglass sheets you've installed; and
• open windows and doors to the outside to improve natural ventilation if the weather permits – good ventilation helps keep indoor spaces safe, especially those that are always occupied.

See where people have to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask.

• Have a more flexible workplace and leave policies for employees who are:
  • sick;
  • in self-isolation; or
  • caring for family members.
• Adjust procedures to reduce in person contact, such as:
  • introducing flexible hours;
  • staggering start times;
  • using email; and
  • using teleconferencing tools.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has tip sheets, courses and publications for workplaces.

Visit the CCOHS website for more information and customizable resources.

Ottawa Public Health

Ottawa Public Health has a COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit for Employers that identifies how employers can build vaccine confidence among employees and support vaccination efforts.

Visit the Ottawa Public Health website for more information.

go2HR

go2HR, B.C.’s tourism and hospitality human resources and health and safety association, has various resources for employers and employees navigating the challenges of COVID-19. The COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace toolkit includes answers to commonly asked questions and provides a sample employee sick leave policy.

Get the toolkit.