Company covid protocol
For anyone that is back at work, what are your company's protocols for covid if an employee tests positive? I've heard from some that every employee has to be tested to return, but is that the standard? Also does anyone know if there are any legal requirements for employers or is it just up to the individual companies to decide?
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Thecatsmeow 
strangerdanger I have an acquaintance who works at a large grocery chain in Chester. A worker had covid and nothing was said to the workers - not even to those who worked by the workers side daily. The person was out for three weeks and not one word, not one warning to people to protect themselves and get tested. Nothing.
LibertarianismRules I think the OP is looking for a specific protocol businesses must follow if an employee tests positive for Covid.
3wbdwnj There are a number of legal requirements, some state, some federal. And then there are guidelines which are standardized but not mandatory. Several industry organizations have had programs over the past year to educate on all of the complicated rules.
The standard is interview and contact tracing after a positive test. Then testing of the people who have been exposed based on the state standard. It's not universal but some companies have adopted 100% company testing where employees interact with just about everyone everyday.
See the NJ state web site for official information. But it's complicate what is law vs policy or just guideline:
https://covid19.nj.gov/
GC How much is a legal obligation vs. a moral obligation? As an employee I would feel morally obligated to let my employer/coworkers know so they can get tested. Legally, it’s not an obligation, is it?
Hurl those stones softly, they may have been really sick. 3-weeks is not a nothing burger.... 2-weeks or less is that.
According to the info on the link (thanks strangerdanger!) employers are required to promptly notify employees if someone tests positive. I'm in a similar situation where coworkers have tested positive and I only found out through another coworker. Not from any management. I went and got tested right away but no one was required to. It is very frustrating, at this rate we will never be done with this pandemic if places open to the public are not taking safety precautions seriously.
Yes I was looking for specific requirements or laws but at least in the state website there doesn't seem to be any in regards to everyone getting tested. Just that if they show symptoms they have to go home, and the place needs to be sanitized after a positive test. I'm in a workplace where everyone interacts so I'm frustrated that not everyone got tested after a couple tested positive. I mean they do have someone come clean and sanitize daily but still doesn't make sense.
I cant find anything online that says you are required to tell anyone if you test positive. But that the laboratory will notify the health department of any positive tests. Then the health department may contact you, or if you do notify your employer and they report it, the health department may contact the employer for contact tracing. At least that's how I interpreted it, I could be misunderstanding it though.
Somewhere out there is a 800 anonymous reporting number for employees to report infractions.
If the employer hasn’t made it a job requirement to report, the liability is on the employer. Doubt anyone would fault a firing over not reporting it to your employer.
There are privacy rules for revealing if an person is sick. So the employer may not legally be permitted to tell you is a co-worker contracted COVID, or AIDS or Herpes or has Athletes foot. That being said there should be policies in place to protect those who are in contact with a person who is contagious.
My employer moved us all to 100% work from home, but obviously that is not something that works for a grocery store.
Agust Management have told us that they can't say WHO, but they have told us when someone tests positive, or has been restricted from work due to COVID. Each case is different. One for example was because he was contacted traced during days off for an incident that was the first night off, so no one else was involved. Another was someone who worked with only 1 other person and they were contact traced and restricted until then tested negative. There have been others but they have restricted people and told the employees if there was an incident at our workplace. Without a test, but possible exposure gets you 14 days off, period.
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