What should I do if an employee comes to work with COVID-19 symptoms?

Employees who have symptoms when they arrive at work or become sick during the day should immediately be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors and sent home. Employees who develop symptoms outside of work should notify their supervisor and stay home. Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Employees should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation and have consulted with a healthcare provider. Employers should not require sick employees to provide a COVID-19 test result or healthcare provider’s note to validate their illness, qualify for sick leave, or return to work. Healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.

What should I do if an employee is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19?

In most cases, you do not need to shut down your facility. But do close off any areas used for prolonged periods of time by the sick person: Wait 24 hours before cleaning and disinfecting to minimize potential for other employees being exposed to respiratory droplets. If waiting 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible. Follow the CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations : Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting them. To disinfect surfaces, use products that meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19, and are appropriate for the surface. Be sure to follow the instructions on the product labels to ensure safe and effective use of the product. You may need to wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE) depending on the setting and disinfectant product you are using. In addition to cleaning and disinfecting, employers should determine which employees may have been exposed to the virus and need to take additional precautions: If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees who test positive for COVID-19 (using a viral test, not an antibody test) should be excluded from work and remain in home isolation if they do not need to be hospitalized. Employers should provide education to employees on what to do if they are sick . Employers may need to work with local health department officials to determine which employees may have had close contact with the employee with COVID-19 and who may need to take additional precautions , including exclusion from work and remaining at home. Most workplaces should follow the Public Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure and instruct potentially exposed employees to stay home for 14 days, telework if possible, and self-monitor for symptoms . Critical infrastructure workplaces should follow the guidance Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Employees Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 . Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps . Employees should not return to work until they have met the criteria to discontinue home isolation and have consulted with a healthcare provider. Antibody tes t results should not be used to make decisions about returning persons to the workplace.

If employees have been exposed but are not showing symptoms, should I allow them to work?

Employees may have been exposed if they are a “close contact” of someone who is infected, which is defined as being within about 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for a prolonged period of time : Potentially exposed employees who have symptoms of COVID-19 should self-isolate and follow CDC recommended steps . Potentially exposed employees who do not have symptoms should remain at home or in a comparable setting and practice social distancing for 14 days. All other employees should self-monitor for symptoms and wear cloth face coverings when in public. If they develop symptoms, they should notify their supervisor and stay home. See Public Health Recommendations for Community-Related Exposure for more information. To ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, CDC advises that critical infrastructure employees may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain symptom-free and additional precautions are taken to protect them and the community. Critical infrastructure businesses have an obligation to limit, to the extent possible, the reintegration into the worksite of in-person employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 but remain symptom-free in ways that best protect the health of the employee, their co-employees, and the general public. Remaining at home for 14 days may still be the most preferred and viable option for exposed employees. An analysis of core job tasks and workforce availability at worksites can allow the employer to match core activities to other equally skilled and available in-person employees who have not been exposed. A critical infrastructure employee who is symptom-free and returns to work should wear a cloth face covering at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. Employers can issue cloth face coverings or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages. See Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Employees Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 and COVID-19 Critical Infrastructure Sector Response Planning for more information.

What testing does CDC recommend for employees in a workplace?

CDC does NOT recommend that employers use antibody tests to determine which employees can work. Antibody tests check a blood sample for past infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. CDC does not yet know if people who recover from COVID-19 can get infected again . Viral tests check a respiratory sample (such as swabs of the inside of the nose) for current infection with SARS-CoV-2. CDC has published strategies for consideration of incorporating viral testing for SARS-CoV-2 into a workplace COVID-19 preparedness, response, and control plan. Different states and jurisdictions may have their own guidance and priorities for viral testing in workplaces. Testing in the workplace could be arranged through a company’s occupational health provider or in consultation with the local or state health department.

What should I do if I find out several days later, after an employee worked, that they were diagnosed with COVID-19?

If it has been less than 7 days since the sick employee used the facility, clean and disinfect all areas used by the sick employee following the CDC cleaning and disinfection recommendations . If it has been 7 days or more since the sick employee used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary. Continue routinely cleaning and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces in the facility. Other employees may have been exposed to the virus if they were in “close contact” (within approximately 6 feet) of the sick employee for a prolonged period of time. If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Those who have symptoms should self-isolate and follow CDC recommended steps . In most workplaces, those potentially exposed but with no symptoms should remain at home or in a comparable setting and practice social distancing for 14 days. Critical infrastructure employees should follow Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Employees Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 . A critical infrastructure employee who is symptom-free and returns to work should wear a cloth face covering at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure. Employers can issue cloth face coverings or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages. Employees not considered exposed should self-monitor for symptoms . If they develop symptoms, they should notify their supervisor and stay home.

When should an employee suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 return to work?

Sick employees should follow steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . Employees should not return to work until they meet the criteria to discontinue home isolation and have consulted with a healthcare provider. Employers should not require a sick employee to provide a negative COVID-19 test result or healthcare provider’s note to return to work. Employees with COVID-19 who have stayed home can stop home isolation and return to work when they have met one of the sets of criteria found here .

What should I do if an employee has a respiratory illness?

Employees who appear to have COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival to work or become sick during the day with COVID-19 symptoms should immediately be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors and sent home. Sick employees should follow steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . CDC has a symptom self-checker chatbot that employers and employees may find helpful. It has a series of questions and recommends what level of medical care, if any, the user should seek. It is not intended to provide diagnosis or treatment.

What does “acute” respiratory illness mean?

“Acute” respiratory illness is an infection of the upper or lower respiratory tract that may interfere with normal breathing, such as COVID-19. “Acute” means of recent onset (for example, for a few days), and is used to distinguish from chronic respiratory illnesses like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Are allergy symptoms considered an acute respiratory illness?

No. Allergy symptoms are not considered an acute respiratory illness. However, there is some overlap between common seasonal allergy symptoms and some of the symptoms that have been reported by people with COVID-19 (e.g., headache, sneezing, cough). It is important to take into account whether an individual’s symptoms are compatible with the usual symptoms and timing for allergy in that person.

How do I keep employees who interact with customers safe?

To keep your employees safe, you should: Consider options to increase physical space between employees in work areas and between employees and customers such as opening a drive-through, erecting partitions, and marking floors to guide spacing at least 6 feet apart. At least once a day, clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched by multiple people. This includes door handles, desks, tables, phones, light switches, and faucets. Consider assigning a person to rotate throughout the workplace to clean and disinfect surfaces. Consider scheduling handwashing breaks so employees can wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Consider scheduling a relief person to give cashiers and service desk employees an opportunity to wash their hands. Evaluate building ventilation systems and consider upgrades or improvements. Consider implementing flexible sick leave and supportive policies and practices. Additional information on how to keep employees safe can be found in the CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers .

“Covid-19 might just come with a silver lining”: How a global pandemic has highlighted the importance of employee well-being.

COVID-19 and employees' mental health, By Maitiu Boylan.

YEET MAGAZINE

Mar 24, 2021 • 16 min read

General Business Frequently Asked Questions | CDC

“Covid-19 might just come with a silver lining”: How a global pandemic has highlighted the importance of employee well-being.

Often times, crisis situations bring with them their slew of change and upheaval. This is the case with the health crisis we are experiencing this year.

Besides, how has Covid-19 impacted our professional lives?

Isolation from friends and family, decreased income, feelings of hopelessness and an overall loss of morale are just some of the negative factors which have become a daily burden on employees worldwide.

While the announcement of vaccines towards the end of 2020 initially provided a glimpse of hope, infection numbers worldwide and severe lockdown procedures have continued to prevail.

The global pandemic caused by Covid-19 has, for now, torn apart the fundamentals of the working world, and reduced a large portion of the workforce to working from home, with no sign of light at the end of the tunnel anytime soon. It’s no secret that people are at their most vulnerable right now.

Research carried out by Deloitte UK has found that 38% of people have experienced a negative impact on their well-being during lockdown.

An opportunity has arisen, however, for employers to rebuild working policies to cater more specifically to their employees’ needs.

Temporary support structures have been put in place by a lot of companies to aid employees in their efforts to work from home, including video conferences and daily/weekly team check-ins.

While the implementation of employee support measures has been welcomed and commended over the last year, it shouldn’t remain exclusive to a global pandemic.

A study from the University of Warwick revealed that happy and engaged staff are 12% more productive. If employers wish to increase productivity, employee well-being has to become the centre of business success.

It is imperative that, once the world begins to recover, and climb gradually out of the seemingly bottomless pit created by Covid-19, business owners and employers continue in their efforts to support workers and cater to their working requirements.

For example, if an employee feels strongly that they would work more efficiently, and have a better work/life balance from home (or split hours between home and the office), an employer should consider re-structuring the internal operations of their company, and make that a viable option.

Not only will this offer employees more flexibility with their work arrangements, time management will be one less daily stressor to deal with.

A change as impactful as this will ultimately enable a much more efficient work output on behalf of employees. It must be stressed that there is a real person behind each employee, and that won’t end with the pandemic.

The devastation and demoralisation caused by Covid-19 must be a lesson carried indefinitely into the future to ensure the well-being of employees worldwide is not neglected, but made a priority.

Business owners and employers have a chance to design the future of their companies around their valuable employees, ensuring well-being is monitored, prioritised and almost weaponised as a powerful pathway to success.

By providing the opportunity and tools to boost and maintain employee well-being, employee livelihoods will gradually improve, and, alongside that, the performance of businesses. After all, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”.

Isolation from friends and family, decreased income, feelings of hopelessness and an overall loss of morale are just some of the negative factors which have become a daily burden on employees worldwide.

While the implementation of employee support measures has been welcomed and commended over the last year, it shouldn’t remain exclusive to a global pandemic.

A change as impactful as this will ultimately enable a much more efficient work output on behalf of employees. It must be stressed that there is a real person behind each employee, and that won’t end with the pandemic.

It has been well researched and concluded that mental health is integral to consistent performance, be that in the workplace, in social settings and in sport.

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