Q: I’m a business owner in a state that doesn’t have a mandatory mask policy, however I’m requiring universal masking of all my employees and customers. It’s taken a while for everyone to adjust , and we’ve had a grace period where we allow employees to get accustomed to wearing a mask all day (which isn’t easy) by trying different mask styles and materials, and taking mask “breaks” outside. Most are adjusting, but I’m getting resistance from employees who think this requirement is infringing on their rights. How can I enforce this policy without getting into politics?
A: Oh dear. You’ve hit on a pet peeve of mine, so before I give you some sensible advice, allow me to vent.
Are employees (or random citizens for that matter) allowed to light a cigarette inside a building?
Are we allowed to smoke in restaurants, offices and inside airplanes? Of course not. Do you know why? Because it’s a public health concern. Because we know that second-hand smoke can cause possible illness to others a few years from now. That’s right, we can’t do something right now because it might contribute to a medical problem for someone “someday”. We as a civilized society agreed to take away the right of people to light up wherever they felt like it, so that we could all be a healthier society. Even after *smokers complained about their rights back then, public health outweighed personal rights.
Yet, we are now asking people not to do something (go mask-less) that has the possibility of making others very sick –and get this, maybe even kill them– in just a few weeks. And people are complaining about their rights? Geez!
Rant over.
Now for your question.
You could frame the rationale for requiring a mask as a dress code issue. For example, employers can require that employees wear long pants instead of shorts, or closed-toe shoes instead of sandals. Employers can even require employees wear a uniform, or a silly hat. So you could say that wearing a mask is a new dress code requirement, and enforce it as such (sending someone home if they don’t comply).
The other alternative is framing the rationale as a workplace safety issue. Employers can require employees to wear steel-toe boots around machinery, or gloves for cleanliness, or hard hats to prevent head injuries. They can certainly require employees wear a mask at all times for health and safety reasons, and enforce it as such.
Hope these tips help.
*As a former smoker I shudder to say it, but I’m old enough to remember lighting-up inside an airplane after takeoff. Seems crazy now, but yeah.
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