New Protocols.

May 25, 2020

Why should employees follow these new protocols?

The answers to that question are not as obvious to everyone, so make them explicit from the outset. There are many lines of argument to take here but I’d argue the most important to emphasize is that an individual’s actions do not just affect that individual, they have an impact on everyone they come into contact with. Make an appeal to people’s humanity and higher selves. Put their behavior in context of the larger effort to conquer this virus.

Here is a more concrete line of argument. Everyone wants to stay healthy. We know that these behaviors – masks, distancing, hygiene, temperature checks etc. – are proven to reduce risk of infection. If you want to keep your job, you need to be a responsible member of this company and not endanger your co-workers. You are obligated as an employee, and as a citizen, to make a concerted effort to comply. We are in a time where we are all called to make sacrifices. The discomfort of wearing a mask is a minor one especially if you are still getting a paycheck when millions are not.

In a pandemic no one is exempt from biology. Even if you’ve already had the virus and recovered, it is still too soon to prove for certain that you are immune. As a young person, your risk of serious complications or death is less than an older person, so you may not be worried about getting the virus. Please look around at your neighbors and friends here at work and give some thought to their wellbeing. If you think a mask makes you look silly, guess what, everybody looks silly. Not wearing a mask makes you look stupid. Not wearing a mask does not make you brave; it makes you selfish. This is not the place to fight a culture war.