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&lt;p&gt;As the more-viral delta variant of COVID-19 is creating new hot spots across the country, just as many companies&#160;were reviewing&#160;plans about whether or not to return to the office, here are some answers to common questions about masks that might be on your mind.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Should my company require face masks at work?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Laws and regulations vary depending on your state, city, and county, but&#160;the safest answer is yes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Covid-19 is still spreading, with new spikes in states around the U.S. The &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CDC&lt;/a&gt;&#160;is firm that&#160;after being vaccinated, cloth face masks are the best defense. Considering the lives and wellness of employees are at stake, it&#39;s best to play it safe.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In terms of laws, there is a federal mandate for the unvaccinated who do certain types of work to wear masks&#160;and some states are requiring them&#160;for&#160;public-facing ones. Servers at restaurants and hair stylists, for example. Some states are also requiring masks in office buildings. Beyond state guidelines, &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://www.osha.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;OSHA&lt;/a&gt; recommends that employers make it mandatory for employees to wear a face covering on the job.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With tensions high around the topic of vaccines and masks, companies are doing their employees a favor by having clear guidelines. It can relieve stress about returning to work if everyone is required to mask up. Putting this precaution in place will make employees feel safer and help them be more focused and ready to resume business. And if there ever was a time to make employees feel more focused, that&#160;time is now.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Logistically, how do companies require face masks at work?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Companies can start by making sure employees understand how to use and wear masks. Companies can write and share a policy that details that masks must fit snugly around the face and completely cover the mouth and nose, adding that employees may want to have multiple masks because they’ll need to wash them after every use. Employees should also know they need to wash their hands before taking a mask off or putting it on. Lastly, even though it’s probably common sense, employees should be told that face masks should never be shared.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Do companies need to pay for employee face masks?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Again, the answer varies by state and city. In certain states, companies are indeed lawfully required to pay for masks if there’s a policy for them to be worn. If your state or local government legally requires companies to make their staffs wear masks while at the workplace, then companies should also plan to pay for them. Even if there are no laws in your area that explicitly mention paying for masks, companies may be indirectly responsible for them because they’re expenditures that employees need to do their jobs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All legal and regulatory reasons aside, morale should be a factor in companies’ decisions. We are dealing with a pandemic, when many employees are already feeling stressed about their health or their family’s finances; this might be one way to help them feel supported. Some companies are even making their own branded face masks that they provide to workers for free.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What if employees&#160;&lt;em&gt;won’t&lt;/em&gt;&#160;wear face masks?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://masspaysolutions.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MP&lt;/a&gt;, we work with a lot of companies that are seeing this problem. Luckily, there are a few ways to tackle it. First, companies can begin by having a calm, reasonable dialogue with employees that seeks to determine why they don’t want to wear a mask. Maybe the employee has a medical reason they won’t wear a mask. Maybe they have breathing issues, or they need to be able to read lips. If there’s a legitimate reason, companies will need to find some sort of accommodation for them under the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA). One solutions is companies can supply a clear face shield, have the employee work in a secluded office or from home, or even have a staggered schedule so they don’t encounter anybody.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If a staff member simply doesn’t &lt;em&gt;want &lt;/em&gt;to wear the mask, then companies can threaten (and go through with) suspension. The law will back companies up on this, and many workplaces are finding that the CDC’s recommendation for public safety in this pandemic can be used to override most objections that employees might have.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;A version of this post previously appeared on &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; href=&quot;https://masspaysolutions.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MassPay&lt;/a&gt;,&#160;which&#160;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;offers HR and payroll services and has been in business for nearly two decades, serving thousands of companies across the U.S. Since 2014, it has won spots on the Inc 5000 list and the Boston Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies list.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Samantha Keefe

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