My coworker tested positive for COVID-19 — now what? California says take these steps

After two years away from your office, you’re finally back. Then a coworker tests positive for COVID-19.

What do you do? Is anything required of your employer?

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health strongly advises employees be vaccinated and boosted, but the reality is the workplace is mixed with mask preferences and vaccination statuses. And determining the next steps after hearing about a workplace COVID-19 exposure is the latest addition to the in-person work culture.

According to Cal-OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards, last updated May 6 and in effect until Dec. 31, employers must report potential COVID-19 exposures in the workplace and have an immediate plan in place to address cases. If an employee claims a COVID-19 workplace exposure, the employer must investigate any evidence and determine if a close contact occurred.

According to Cal-OSHA’s workplace guidelines, close contact is defined as being within six feet of a COVID-19 case for at least 15 minutes in a 24-hour period or overlapping an infectious period.

Cal-OSHA notes employers must tell their employees how to report COVID-19 symptoms and the employer must ensure their employee returns to work masked for 10 days after being in close contact with COVID-19 or contracting the illness themselves.

Employers under ETS are also supposed to “make testing available at no cost to employees” if they have symptoms or were in close contact in the workplace.

Here’s what you need to know if you are exposed to COVID-19 at work, according to Cal-OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards:

What if I test positive for COVID-19?

Regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms — employees who test positive for COVID-19 cannot return to the workplace for at least five days after the start of their symptoms or first symptom-free positive test.

An employee can return to work after the fifth day if they don’t have symptoms or they’re resolving and they have a negative COVID-19 test taken at least five days after testing positive.

Your first day of symptoms or a positive test is considered day 0.

WHAT IF I TEST POSITIVE ON DAY 5?

If you test positive for COVID-19 on the fifth day, you can return to work 10 days after being fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. The same rules apply if the employee chooses not to take a COVID-19 test on the fifth day.

If symptoms other than a fever aren’t resolving, employees must wait to return to work after signs of progress or until after day 10.

When the employee returns to work, they must wear a face covering around others for 10 days.

What if I tested positive but I’m asymptomatic?

Employees who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, regardless of vaccination status, must take a test within three to five days after their last close contact.

People who’ve had COVID-19 within the last 90 days shouldn’t get tested unless they have symptoms.

What if I was exposed to someone with COVID-19?

Employees who were in close contact to someone with COVID-19, excluding workers in high-risk settings, must wear a face covering around others for 10 days after being exposed. And if an employee develops symptoms, they cannot return to work until taking a negative test.

If the employee tests positive, they must follow California Department of Public Health’s isolation guidelines.

If the employee doesn’t take a COVID-19 test and develops symptoms, they cannot return to work until 10 days after the date their symptoms began.

If an employee tests negative and returns to work earlier than 10 days after being in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, they must wear a face mask around others for 10 days.

Day 0 is the day of exposure.

UNVACCINATED EMPLOYEES IN HIGH RISK SETTINGS

Unvaccinated workers or those who haven’t tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days cannot return to their high-risk setting job for at least five days after coming in contact to someone with COVID-19.

High-risk settings include emergency shelters, cooling and heating centers, long-term car settings, corrections facilitates and healthcare settings, according to the California Department of Public Health.

An employee can return to work after the fifth day from their first exposure to COVID-19 if they’re symptom-free and test negative. If the employee doesn’t take a COVID-19, they cannot return to work until after day 10.

And if the employee develops symptoms after returning to work, they must leave and get a COVID-19 test as soon as possible. If they test positive, they must follow the isolation requirements.

Under California law, if you are excluded from work due to COVID-19 you’re entitled to exclusion pay.

“If an employee is out of work for more than the standard exclusion period based on a single exposure or positive test, but still does not meet the regulation’s requirements to return to work, the employee may be entitled to other benefits, such as Temporary Disability or Disability,” according to Cal-OSHA.

Latest California’s COVID-19 numbers

California’s positivity rate was 4.4% as of Friday, according to the state’s COVID-19 data.

California confirmed a total of more than 8.7 million COVID-19 cases and 90,117 deaths since the pandemic began. The state has a daily average of more than 7,000 cases and 12 deaths.

Sacramento County’s positivity rate was 6.8% as of Friday.

This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.