• Pre-Screen: Employers should take the employee’s temperature and assess symptoms prior to the employee starting work, ideally before the individual enters the facility. If the process of taking employee temperatures causes a delay in being able to commence work, the employees subject to the delay should receive wage payment for the period of delay. In addition, employers must ensure confidentiality of any recording of temperatures.

• Clean and Disinfect Work Spaces: Employers should increase the frequency with which they clean and disinfect all work areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment. (Click here for a current list of products that meet the EPA’s criteria for use against COVID‑19). 

• Regular Monitoring: As long as the employee does not have a temperature or other symptoms known to be associated with COVID-19, the employee should self-monitor under the supervision of his/her employer’s occupational health program or human resources if the employer does not have an established occupational health program.

• Wear a Mask: The employee should wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure (or potential exposure). Employers can issue facemasks or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages. 

• Social Distance: The employee should maintain a distance of at least six feet from co‑workers and practice other social distancing, as work duties permit in the workplace. Such social distancing in the workplace should be enforced by the employer

• Stagger employee breaks, if possible, and instruct employees to maintain physical distancing during breaks and in the breakroom.

• Remind employees to not share food or utensils, or headsets or other objects that are near the mouth or nose. 

• Employers and employees should consider testing face masks to make sure they do not interfere with work assignments. 

• Employers should work with maintenance staff to increase air exchange in the facility, if possible.

• Knowing the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and what to do if staff become symptomatic at the worksite (immediately separate sick employee(s) from other employees and send them home).

• Actively encourage sick employees to stay home and follow the CDC’s return-to-work protocols: 

• Without Test. Employees with COVID-19 who have isolated at home and will not have a test to determine if they are still contagious may discontinue home isolation after at least 72 hours have passed since recovery (i.e., resolution of fever without use of fever reducing medications) and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

• With Test. Employees with COVID-19 who have isolated at home and will have a test to determine if they are still contagious may discontinue home isolation after they no longer have a fever (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) and other symptoms have improved (cough or shortness of breath) and have received two negative tests in a row, 24 hours apart.

• Asymptomatic. Employees with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms may discontinue home isolation when at least 7 days have passed since the date of their first positive COVID-19 diagnostic test and have had no subsequent illness provided they remain asymptomatic. For three days following discontinuation of isolation, these persons should continue to limit contact (stay six feet away from others) and wear a mask.

• Encourage handwashing and avoid touching eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands.

• Encourage respiratory etiquette (i.e., cough into a tissue or inner elbow) and wash hands immediately afterwards.

• Ensure that soap and water and other hygiene supplies are readily available and in multiple locations in the workplace, including alcohol-based hand rubs and tissues with no-touch disposal receptacles.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily (workstations, countertops, doorknobs, etc.). Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces can be wiped down by employees before each use.

• Encourage telework when feasible.

• Implement social distancing measures (i.e., increasing physical space between workers, staggering work schedules, replacing in-person meetings with virtual ones, etc.).

• Consider regular health checks (e.g., temperature screening of staff and visitors entering premises).

• Cancel (or limit) non-essential work travel.

• Cancel work-sponsored conferences and tradeshows.