Workplace Guidance
Businesses in Stanislaus County are responsible for taking steps to protect the health of their workers and customers by minimizing close contact between people and maintaining a clean and sanitary work environment. The step-by-step protocol below explains legal obligations and provides additional guidance to employers when one or more people at the workplace tests positive for COVID-19. This protocol applies to employees as well as volunteers, contractors, or other people who work at the facility. In addition to this protocol, employers must comply with all applicable state and federal laws and any collective bargaining obligations. Please note that this guide is not intended for any congregate or high-risk facilities.When to Use This Protocol
- If the person diagnosed with COVID-19 ever had symptoms, use this protocol if they were symptomatic while at work or developed symptoms within 48 hours of being at work.
- If the person diagnosed with COVID-19 never had symptoms, use this protocol if they tested positive within 48 hours of being at work.
Note:
This protocol is triggered as soon as you learn that a person at your workplace has received a positive test result on a COVID-19 diagnostic test. You may not avoid the requirement to implement this protocol by re-testing the person, even if the results of one or more re-tests are negative.Protocol: What To Do When Someone at the Workplace Tests Positive for COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions
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English (PDF)
- For employees with symptoms all of these conditions must be met:
At least 24 hours have passed since a fever of 100.4 or higher has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medications;
COVID-19 symptoms have improved; and
At least 10 days have passed since COVID-19 symptoms first appeared
- For employees without symptoms, at least 10 days have passed since the COVID-19 case's first positive test
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The CalOSHA ETS requires employers to provide employees who are not fully vaccinated with masks of at least 2 layers or more and ensure they are worn over the nose and mouth when indoors, in vehicles and when required by orders from the CDPH. Outdoors, no employees need to use masks, regardless of vaccination status, unless there is an outbreak.
Exceptions include: when an employee is alone in a room or vehicle, while eating or drinking provided employees are six feet apart or outside, employees wearing respirators, employees who cannot wear masks due to a medical or mental health condition or disability or who are hearing-impaired or communicating with a hearing-impaired person, or when an employee performs specific tasks which cannot be performed with a mask. Employers must also provide masks to employees upon request, regardless of their vaccination status.
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Yes, employers can have policies that are stricter than those required by the CalOSHA ETS. However, an accommodation must be made for those who cannot wear masks due to a medical or mental health condition or disability, who are hearing-impaired or communicating with a hearing-impaired person, or when an employee performs specific tasks which cannot be performed with a mask.
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An employee is considered fully vaccinated if the employer has documented that the employee received, at least 14 days prior, either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine.
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An employee has had a close contact if they were within six feet of a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or greater in any 24-hour period within or overlapping with the infectious period.
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No. The employer may provide or make available testing to employees at a testing site separate from their work location.
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A COVID-19 case may return to work when any of the following occur:
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No, the CalOSHA ETS does not require an employee to have a negative test to return to work.
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Up to 80 hours. This is separate from any COVID-10 supplemental paid sick leave taken in 2020.
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It starts March 29, 2021, is retroactive to January 1, 2021, and ends on September 30, 2021.
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The CDC defines isolation and quarantine as the following, “Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.”
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The AB 685 requires employers to report COVID-19 outbreaks within 48 hours to the LHD in the jurisdiction of the worksite. The bill would require an employer that has an outbreak to continue to give notice to the local health department of any subsequent laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the worksite.
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Please email the Worksite Outreach team at WorkSiteOutreach@schsa.org to report COVID-19 cases and outbreaks. The Worksite Outreach team will provide you a Positive Employee Report sheet and Exposure Log to complete.
Addtional Resources
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Local Resources
Coronavirus - HSA - Stanislaus County (schsa.org)
Public Health - HSA - Stanislaus County (schsa.org)
Stanislaus County Alerts, Notices, and Emergency Warnings - StanAware
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State Resources
Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidance
COVID-19 PH Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated
2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave(ca.gov)
Coronavirus-2019 | California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
Side by Side Comparison of Paid Leave Options (ca.gov)
Safely Making California
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CDC Resources
Workplaces and Businesses | COVID-19 | CDC
Vaccine Clinic Request Form
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