COVID-19: ONE YEAR LATER More than half of the 300 U.S. companies surveyed are starting COVID-19 contact tracing programs in their workplace. Source: Mercer Companies need to have a reliable system in place to make sure employees are healthy and able to perform their functions for the sake of business continuity. Knowing when and for how long an employee is likely to be out-and what the extent of that disruption will be-allows time for planning and response. A program can help bring an inherently chaotic and unpredictable situation under control and allow companies to focus on making smarter and more informed business decisions. Building a Program Perhaps the first and most important element of any new contact tracing initiative begins well before the program itself is ever rolled out: clear and consistent communication to employees. Any contact tracing program is only as good as its participants, and buyin from team members is critical. Be sure to shape perceptions and boost participation by communicating clearly and often both before and during the program's rollout. Presenting contact tracing as what it is-a safety issue-and making it clear that it isn't an unnecessary invasion of privacy can go a long way. An experienced health and safety partner can be invaluable when it comes to building the operational details of the program itself, but keep in mind that every effective contact tracing program that protects employees and ensures organizational continuity includes the following elements: * sufficient manpower to quickly conduct the tracing and communicate with potential exposures; * uncompromising protocols to ensure that no exceptions are made and that all exposures and quarantine periods are observed; and MARCH 2021 | www.hrotoday.com [21]http://www.hrotoday.com