Safety programs that include drug testing, background checks, and occupational medicine are not new, and, for many businesses, are an essential part of the budget every year. However, as we look to 2021 budgets, there are some critical changes to be aware of and some standards that should not be abandoned at any cost.
As you budget 2021, consider prioritizing on-site drug testing, COVID-19 testing, vaccines for COVID-19 and the flu, machine assisted physical assessments, ongoing and targeted background checks.
COVID-19 Testing
You will likely perform COVID-19 testing for your business throughout 2021. Sending your employees to Walgreen’s is not the best plan for your business, whether you have 50 employees or 50,000. Like drug testing, the greatest ROI from COVID-19 testing is available from on-site testing regularly offered to your employees.
Here's why it's so important. By the time you're feeling awful with COVID, you're not contagious anymore. The testing we currently have is not conducive to preventing the spread.
We've found an immediate result nasal COVID-19 test (from the company that produces the majority of the flu nasal swabs) that is cost-effective enough that you can do several times a week.
This test will be a difference maker in your business. It is 95 percent accurate. If there is a positive test, we will send a sample to the lab or run a second test for confirmation. Additionally, people who have had COVID are immune for about 90 days (according to the latest scientific findings), but after that they can be re-infected.
We can also do the oral fluids test that is lab-based and 100 percent accurate—so you can choose which test you'd rather do for your business. We’ll keep you in the loop—the minute we have a new development, you’ll hear from our team, via email or phone.
COVID-19 has been costly for businesses. According to the Wall Street Journal,
Staying open during the pandemic wasn’t cheap. Big companies say they spent anywhere from hundreds of thousands to almost a billion dollars in Covid-19-related costs. Some say they expect the costs to keep rising in coming quarters, even as they face uncertain demand from consumers.
The figures include increased pay for front-line workers, expanded cleaning and sanitization protocols, and the purchasing of coronavirus testing or personal protective equipment, according to a Wall Street Journal review of recent quarterly reports and earnings-call transcripts. These are extra expenses and don’t reflect extra revenue or lost business. Some essential retailers that were open as well as makers of safety gear had a surge in revenue during the lockdown.
Don’t let your 2021 costs increase exponentially with an outbreak of COVID-19. Contact us today and begin COVID-19 testing tomorrow.
