Depending on the state you live in, masks are now very commonplace when you are out and about. While some have made mask-wearing political statements about personal rights versus COVID spread, here in Colorado, the Governor has mandated wearing them. As a result of the mask mandate, we do get asked how employers should navigate mask-wearing in the workplace. As your Denver PEO, here are some tips to help you navigate the mask mandate.
Understanding The Mask Mandate
The Colorado mask mandate pertains mostly to indoor public spaces. So when you are out getting groceries or going to indoor places where others are gathered, you need to be wearing a mask. This is especially the case where keeping distanced at all times is not possible. This mandate also applies to mass transit services such as taxi, light rail, or ride-sharing services such as Uber or Lyft.
The term “public indoor space” means any publicly or privately owned, managed, or operated, enclosed indoor area that is accessible to the public, is a place of employment or is an entity that provides services. Or, to simplify, any indoor space other than your own home.
Mask Guidance for Employers
When it comes to the office environment, employers do have to abide by the mask mandate as it does include all offices, lobbies, elevators, common areas, hallways, restrooms, etc. As a result, employers and businesses must:
Enforce mask-wearing when clients visit the office – Businesses must refuse service to customers or clients who are not wearing masks and visiting the office
Spaced out – We do encourage, if your employees have to be in the office, that their work stations be spaced out to enable social distancing of at least 6 feet
Wear a mask – If you cannot effectively socially distance, and you are indoors, you must wear the mask. This includes, for example, if you are having a meeting in a conference room with other team members.
Common areas – A lot of businesses have kitchen or gathering areas. In such places, employees must wear a mask.
Provide alternatives – If the team can work effectively from home, allow them to do so. Also, if there are people on your team with disabilities or medical conditions where mask-wearing is not possible, you need to provide them with an alternative, which could include allowing them to work from home.
High-risk employees – If you have team members that are at high-risk for COVID, perhaps undergoing cancer treatment, diabetes, asthma, or older, you must allow them similar alternatives, as noted above.
For more information on the Colorado Mask Mandate:
Overall, a great deal of the mask mandate is common sense. If your team works indoors in an office, then you need to wear a mask, especially when clients are visiting. Conversely, those clients need to wear a mask. Space out employees that have to come into the office. Wear masks in common areas, hallways, restrooms, etc. The best thing, however, is to allow those that can work from home to do. Also, provide alternatives to those who are at high-risk, including the ability to work from home. If you have any further questions about this, please feel free to contact us at 303-221-0558.
Roger Hays currently serves as President and CEO of PassioHR, Inc., based in Englewood Colorado. PassioHR was founded in 2021 by Roger after having spent over twenty years working in various positions in the Professional Employer Organization (PEO) market.
His areas of expertise are Human Resources management; Benefits Administration; Government Affairs; and Business Management.
Mr. Hays currently serves as the Chair the Leadership Council for NAPEO in Colorado and serves on their PAC committee, Federal Government Affairs and State Government Affairs Committees as well. In addition to NAPEO Roger is a past Leadership Council Chairman for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in Colorado and serves on their PAC committee as well (NFIB is the voice of small business, advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals). He is a past Board President for the Colorado Civil Justice League (Colorado Civil Justice League is the only organization in Colorado focused exclusively on limiting unreasonable lawsuits and preserving common sense in the courtroom). Roger has been appointed by the Governor of Colorado, three times, to serve as a Board member on the Colorado Uninsured Employers Board. (The CUE board was established by the CO legislature to provide financial assistance to individuals injured while working for employers who did not carry workers’ compensation insurance in violation of Colorado Statute.)
Roger spends many hours each Legislative session working with state Legislators in Colorado on behalf of the PEO industry as well as small business in general testifying in front of committees or just interacting with individual legislators on issues important to those groups. He also works with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, serving on a number of taskforces to help guide the department in dealing with Unemployment and Labor issues.
Mr. Hays Graduated from North Dakota State University with a BS Degree in Political Science and is an avid Bison supporter.
