COVID-19 Workplace Guidelines 2022
COVID-19 caused businesses to be more vigilant about the health of their workforce than ever before. Medcor’s occupational health services include health security to deter the entry of infectious diseases into your business and onsite clinics that can help you vaccinate your workforce.
Regulations and mask mandates have changed at the federal and state levels for unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people, and COVID-19 workplace guidelines in 2022 have changed to best protect public health. Medcor helps you stay up to date and compliant with CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines.
Is there a COVID policy for employers?
The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, spreads mainly among unvaccinated people in close contact. This is particularly true indoors and in poorly ventilated spaces. The CDC and OSHA have guidelines and recommendations to help business owners stop the spread.
Employers should be implementing masking policies, promoting COVID-19 testing and getting vaccinated to their workforce, and enforcing social distancing for employee and customer safety. Keeping your workforce and your customers safe from COVID-19 can only help your business and your reputation, and Medcor helps you put the safety and health of your workforce first.
Steps for COVID-19 Workplace Safety
According to CDC guidelines you can require employees to wear masks and get vaccines, enforce social distancing, and practice regular disinfecting to do your part to stop the spread of COVID-19. Employers with unvaccinated or otherwise at-risk workers can implement masking policies or provide extra PPE.
Masking at Work
Providing respiratory protection for workers is required. Workers must wear masks indoors in certain sectors, including healthcare. Employers need to provide workers with masks at no cost.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, and employers can require employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Promote vaccination programs by offering vaccines at an onsite clinic with Medcor.
Social Distancing
Social distancing is now a common precaution to stop the spread of COVID-19. Current guidelines recommend a minimum of six feet apart from others, however this does not guarantee safety in particularly crowded or poorly ventilated places.
Practice Good Personal Hygiene (Wash Your Hands Often)
Personal hygiene is another way to protect yourself from exposure to COVID-19. Wash your hands frequently with soap and lukewarm water for at least 20 seconds at a time, especially before eating.
Perform Routine Cleaning and Disinfection
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can also survive on surfaces so routine cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces can also help stop the spread.
Returning To Work After Getting Sick Or Exposed To COVID-19
Even if you don’t test positive for COVID-19, you should take precautions if you’ve had exposure. The CDC recommends wearing a mask as soon as you learn you were exposed to COVID-19, for at least 10 days and monitoring your health for any fever or symptoms during this time.
COVID-19 Workplace Guidelines for Returning to Work
No matter your vaccination status, there are guidelines for returning to work safely after testing positive for COVID-19. The CDC recommends isolating for at least five days from when your symptoms began. After that, you can return to work if symptoms have been improving and you don’t have a fever, but you need to wear a mask for at least an additional five days.
Workers (who do not work in certain high-risk settings such as healthcare) exposed to someone with COVID-19 and have COVID-19 symptoms
If you have had exposure to COVID-19 and have symptoms, the CDC recommends isolation for at least five days and to get tested by the sixth day. You should be wearing a mask as long as you have symptoms and if you test positive for COVID-19, you should continue to isolate and wear a mask.
Workers (who do not work in certain high-risk settings) exposed to someone with COVID-19, and do not have COVID-19 symptoms
If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, you can still develop symptoms for 10 days after you have been exposed. You need to practice precaution by wearing a mask as soon as you find out you were exposed, but you do not need to isolate unless you develop symptoms for test positive for COVID-19.
Workers that test positive for COVID-19, but do not have symptoms
If you tested positive for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic and are not immunocompromised, you could potentially return to work after five days of isolation, but you need to wear a mask for at least 10 days.
How Can Technology Help Slow The Spread Of COVID-19 In The Workplace?
COVID Work Clearance provides a systematic way to assess employees for their COVID risk and demonstrates that you have taken reasonable precautions to protect your workforce, customers, and guests. This service provides employees with phone access 7 days a week, rapid assessment, and clearance based on current CDC guidelines. Our screening team is equipped with Medcor’s proprietary software and patented assessment methods to offer callers symptom results, care instructions, and accurate next steps. At the conclusion of each call, employees receive your company COVID policies. Employees who are cleared receive a digital certificate, and your team receives notice of call results. When needed, escalation to physician evaluation by telemed is available.
Using the MyMedcor health screening app app and in-person temperature reading, Trusted Entry combines convenience, speed, and privacy. Prior to entering any location, users complete a CDC-based symptom questionnaire on their smartphone. The entry process is completed with a temperature check by a Medcor COVID screener at the site
When smartphones are not used, our COVID screeners facilitate the symptom questionnaire for entrants. COVID screeners are trained with Medcor quality and service excellence standards and supported by Medcor’s proprietary systems, software, and operations.
Each of these services by Medcor help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Partner With Medcor
Partner with Medcor to protect yourself and others from exposure to COVID-19. Medcor’s Health Security team was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now has years of experience providing COVID testing and trusted entry screening to keep workers and worksites safe.
Medcor is continually updating procedures and software to keep you compliant with current CDC and OSHA recommendations. We partner with businesses across the United States and Canada to improve occupational safety and health.
Contact an advocate today to protect your workforce.
