WORKPLACE SAFETY
RESPONDING TO AN
EMPLOYEE’S POSITIVE
CORONAVIRUS TEST
Employers are responsible for
handling an employee’s positive
coronavirus test swiftly to protect
the health of other employees
while preserving the affected
employee’s confidentiality. In addition to
notifying the company and its customers,
employers must also disinfect the office
and evaluate next steps.
If you are in this situation, you may be
wondering what you need to do. This
article provides an overview of how you
can respond to finding out an employee has
COVID-19.
RESPONDING TO THE EMPLOYEE
When an employee notifies you that he
or she is sick with COVID-19, you should
respond calmly and empathetically. In
these uncertain times, it can be easy to
overreact, but you need to ensure that
the infected employee is treated with
compassion. Reassure the employee that
their identity will remain confidential and
be sure to help them coordinate taking
leave or paid time off until they have
recovered.
You will also need to ask the employee
some potentially difficult questions,
including whom the employee has been
in contact with in the last two weeks.
Obtaining this information is essential so
that you can directly notify customers and
other employees that they may have been
directly exposed to COVID-19.
NOTIFYING EMPLOYEES AND
CUSTOMERS
Without disclosing the identity of the
infected employee, you need to notify their
coworkers, customers, and the rest of the
company.
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