Workplace Guidance
How do we work safely during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Businesses, employers, and workers play a crucial role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by creating safe workplaces. The Department of Health recommends safety procedures such as wearing masks, promoting vaccination, physical distancing, identifying and reporting COVID-19 cases, and sanitizing.
Create a Safe Workplace
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Identify a workplace coordinator. Designate someone responsible for COVID-19 issues and their impact at the workplace.
Set clear expectations regarding illness. Make sure sick employees do not come to work. Develop policies that encourage sick employees to stay at home, and ensure employees are aware of these policies.
Know what to do if an employee gets sick. If an employee becomes sick while at work, they should be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors and sent home immediately. Follow CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting.
Have conversations with employees about their concerns. Some employees may be at higher risk for severe illness.
Be flexible. Develop flexible policies for scheduling and telework (if feasible) and create leave policies to allow employees to stay home to care for sick family members or care for children if schools and childcare close.
Focus on healthy practices. Promote etiquette for coughing and sneezing and handwashing. Provide tissues, soap and water, and hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Masks are also strongly recommended.
Minimize face-to-face contact. Take meetings remotely and promote telework when possible. Consider working staggered shifts.
Perform routine environmental cleaning. Routinely clean and disinfect all frequently touched surfaces, such as workstations, countertops, handrails, and doorknobs. Discourage sharing of tools and equipment, if feasible.
Limit employee travel. Check the CDC’s Travelers’ Health for the latest guidance and recommendations. Consider using teleconferencing and video conferencing for meetings, when possible.
Stay up-to-date on local regulations.
Responding to Cases
Employers should be proactive and keep in mind that identification of even a single positive case among workers may quickly develop into an outbreak. If an employer discovers a worker who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has COVID-19 symptoms, the employee should leave work immediately, and the business should follow these guidelines:
- Identify and track suspected and confirmed cases among workers;
- Develop a testing strategy to identify additional worker cases and close contacts to control further spread;
- If contacted, cooperate with local health officials in case investigation.
- Consider whether to temporarily suspend operations.
Resources:
- View Identifying and Talking to Your Close Contacts.
- Isolation and Exposure Guidance for K-12 Schools.
- Review how to respond to COVID-19 cases in your workplace and prevent further spread.
- View CDC guidance for businesses and small businesses for information on preventing outbreaks.
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