Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace
Employers have an important role to play in keeping employees safe from COVID-19. This resource document was created to help employers understand the steps they can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to respond quickly and appropriately to COVID-19 cases and outbreaks identified in the workplace.
Local health departments (LHDs), facilities, or other organziations (such as high risk congregate settings:see list found in the CDPH COVID-19 Testing Guidanceā) may continue to implement additional requirements that are more protective than this statewide guidance based on local circumstances, including in certain higher-risk settings or during certain situations (for example, during active outbreaks in high-risk settings).
Legal and Regulatory Requirements
A previous statewide requirement for employers to notify LHDs of COVID-19 workplace outbreaks is no longer in effect. LHDs may, however, continue to require outbreak reporting through a local order. Employers must provide any information requested by an LHD regarding COVID-19 cases or outbreaks in the workplace, as described in the COVID-19 Workplace Outbreak Reporting Guidance.
In non-healthcare workplaces, employers are responsible for ensuring that their actions to protect employees comply with the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations (COVID-19 Prevention Regulations).
Employers should consult the regulatory language, Frequently Asked Questions, and other materials on the COVID-19 Prevention regulations webpage. This resource guide is not intended to restate the comprehensive requirements of the Cal/OSHA regulations.
This resource guide is also not intended for use in managing or preventing outbreaks in healthcare, correctional, shelter, or other workplace settings where Cal/OSHA's Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard (Title 8, Section 5199) applies. ā
Key Components of Workplace Outbreak Management
1. Prepare to identify and manage COVID-19 cases in the workplace.
- āIdentify LHD contact information and any applicable reporting requirements for the LHD in the jurisdiction where the workplace is located. āā
- āDesignate a workplace disease control and prevention coordinator to help implement COVID-19 infection prevention procedures and to manage COVID-19 related issues among employees.
- Develop a written workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) for COVID-19 prevention procedures consistent with the requirements of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Regulations. Cal/OSHA has a Model COVID-19 Prevention Procedures Template available on the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations webpage.
- āAsk employees to report possible COVID-19 workplace hazards to the employer, without fear of retaliation.
- Encourage employees to stay home and report to the employer if employees are diagnosed with COVID-19 and have symptoms. Employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 but do not have symptoms are not required to be excluded from work, further requirements can be found in the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Non-Emergency FAQs.
- Encourage all employees to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. Vaccination is the single most effective strategy for protecting employees from COVID-19.
2. Share information with the LHD and other stakeholders.
3. Identify additional employee cases and close contacts.
- When an employee is identified with COVID-19, the employer should determine if the employee was present in the workplace during their infectious period and identify any close contacts. Employers should consult the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Regulations and the State Public Health Officer Order COVID-19 Disease Control & Prevention for definitions of infectious period and close contact.
- To evaluate when the COVID positive individual was present in the workplace and help identify additional close contacts, employers may choose to interview employees with COVID-19 by phone. Employment records may also be consulted to obtain this information.
- Close contacts should follow the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) COVID-19 Isolation Guidance.
- Once a workplace outbreak is identified, testing potentially exposed employees should be one of the first strategies considered by employers to identify additional cases.
- LHDs can be consulted to discuss testing strategies and may also be able to help facilitate testing options, if needed.
- Consult the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Regulations on testing requirement for exposed employees and specific return-to-work criteria.
- āBe aware that testing reflects an individual's health status at a single point in time only. Even if an employee tests negative, they may still develop COVID-19 infection from a recent or subsequent exposure. Repeat testing if symptoms develop is recommended in the CDPH COVID-19 Isolation Guidanceā. āāā
4. Notify and provide instruction to employees.
- If an individual with COVID-19 was at the worksite during their infectious period, employers must notify close contacts of COVID-19 exposure in the
workplace. See Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention
Regulations for additional information on notification requirements.
5. Determine when it is appropriate for employees with COVID-19 to return to work.
- Employers should review the most recent Cal/OSHA requirements and CDPH Isolation Guidance to determine when employees who test positive for COVID-19 may return to work.
- Work exclusion periods vary depending on an individual's symptoms and test results.ā
- LHDs may impose additional return-to-work requirements; employers should consult with the LHD in the jurisdiction where the workplace is located regarding any additional these requirements.ā
6. Take steps to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
Additional CDPH Rāāesources
Additional Cal/OSHA Resources
Originally Published on
June 16, 2020