Return to Work Virtual Toolkit for Employers: Global Focus – Considerations for Multinational Employers

The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented strain on organizations of all sizes across all industries. The uncertainty of the “new normal” is forcing employers all over the world to consider various new policies as economies reopen and businesses consider requiring many of their workers to return to the workplace. To properly navigate the complexities of these novel COVID-19 employment issues, you need innovative but practical solutions.

In response to the challenges that employers now face, McDermott developeded a webinar series to take a deep dive into all of the issues at stake–from workplace safety to employee privacy, as well as strategies to mitigate risk and respond to the inevitable surge in litigation. You had the chance to join our colleagues from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States as they provide their unique insights into these issues from a global perspective.

This webinar was designed for multinational employers and provided strategies for navigating return to work issues in a number of countries that have dealt with the pandemic in different ways.

Discussion topics included:

• Compare and contrast various countries’ plans to reopen, including relevant date(s) or milestones for plan implementation
• Exploring various countries’ requirements and/or best practices for reopening businesses, including encouraging telework, modifying the physical workplace, distancing of employees, utilizing face coverings, screening employees for COVID-19 symptoms, and creating a protocol for dealing with employees who test positive for COVID-19
• Balancing workplace safety concerns against employee privacy rights
• Identifying the similarities and differences amongst the legal responses to COVID-19 and key issues for employers across major jurisdictions

We also conducedt a Q&A session with the speakers at the end of the webinar.