There have been unanticipated changes since the pandemic struck. This situation has been an anomaly for the retail store owners because they will have to again face the decreasing customer flow due to lockdowns. The lack of business has become an intermittent factor for them since 2020. It is tough for such businesses to carry on themselves because of the loss of jobs of potential customers due to the pandemic.

Now the most discerning news is the coming of the Delta variant of this disease. This hazardous variant spreads among people who have received two doses of the vaccination also. Hence there is going to be a fear among the public not to visit public spaces and get in proximity with other people. The CDC has already issued guidelines for the US natives on how to muddle through this disease. As per the CDC rules, masks must be worn even within the confines of a retail store now.

Changes in OSHA guidelines

There were earlier OSHA guidelines issued in May 2021 to diminish the risk of transmission of this disease such as employers, following certain safety standards which include providing paid leaves or time off to employees to get the vaccination. 

OSHA has also declared that all employees must be vaccinated, even if it means calling the authorities to the workplace.

The employees might also feel some temporary side effects and hence can be given offs to recuperate fully before rejoining.

Apart from that, Covid-19 testing is compulsory for those employees who have not been vaccinated.

But on July 27th, 2021, there were new guidelines issued for individuals who were completely vaccinated. OSHA has issued some mandatory guidelines because the Delta variant is considered to be highly transmissible.

These guidelines state that these individuals if they encounter people who are validated to be a Covid-19 patients must get an infection test 3-5 days after such contact. Also, such vaccinated individuals must wear masks for at least 2 weeks or until such test results are revealed.

Earlier, the CDC had mandated in May 2021 that fully vaccinated individuals may not wear masks and practice physical distancing. But such individuals are also prone to contracting the Delta variant of the Coronavirus.

Safety training is now a continuous part of retail eLearning.

As such, since OSHA has generated some new guidelines due to so many cases of Delta variants found in the USA, there needs to be retail eLearning to make sure employees follow such rules.

The employees also have to collect information from customers visiting the store about their Covid-19 vaccination status. Although some states have made it compulsory for customers to show their Covid-19 vaccination reports before visiting a place, some states have disqualified such vaccine passports for visitation rights.

Such states are Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Arizona, Arkansas, etc. So, this is a positive development for retail stores.

However, there are exceptions when an individual wants to visit a health care center and he has to show his vaccination passport-like in Arizona. However, in New York, a vaccine passport is required for individuals who gather in areas with swarms of people such as restaurants, gyms, and bars.

How to deal with customers who have not been vaccinated due to ADA?

Retail eLearning also will teach employees about how to treat customers who have not been vaccinated due to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). It’s because their disability precludes them from getting a vaccination and there could be legal complications if entry is denied to such customers.

As far as customers are concerned, they may or may not respond to the question of their vaccination status. But this means that they can be requested to wear a mask before entering the premises. As per HIPAA, non-medical companies can know about your medical information, but you as an individual have a right to deny its disclosure. A business requesting a customer to disclose his vaccination information is not breaking the HIPAA laws.

Apart from that, businesses should also be cautious when asking customers questions about their vaccination status. It’s because when a customer responds he has not received the vaccination, he is not required to answer why because there can be sensitive issues about his disability.

This is how retail eLearning can help employers in knowing how to deal with the Delta variant of the pandemic.