Important Update
Cal/OSHA has updated the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations on March 13, 2023. For the latest updates continue to check Cal/OSHA's Non-ETS FAQ page.
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Have a Question about COVID-19 in the Workplace?
Alameda County staff are available to answer your questions about COVID-19 in the workplace.
Contact Us
Workplace Questions: COVIDRecovery@acgov.org
Outbreak Questions: COVIDOB@acgov.org
General Inquiries: (510) 268-2101
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COVID-19 Cases and Close Contacts in the Workplace
For indoor spaces of 400,000 cubic feet or fewer, a close contact is someone who shares the same indoor airspace with a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the COVID-19 case’s infectious period. For indoor airspaces of more than 400,000 cubic feet, a close contact is someone who is within six feet of a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the COVID-19 case’s infectious period. Offices, suites, rooms, waiting areas, break or eating areas, bathrooms or other spaces that are separated by floor-to-ceiling walls are considered distinct indoor airspaces.
Workplace Isolation Requirements
- Work Exclusion: Prevents a person from working as an employee or entering a specific work facility.
- Work Restriction: Prevents a person from working as an employee performing certain types of work (e.g., direct contact with clients or others), or restriction from contact with specific populations.
Q: Does an employee need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation to return to work?
For those who have tested positive for COVID-19, isolation can end and employees may return to the workplace after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are mild and resolving, AND the employee is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication. Employers may require employees to submit a viral test for COVID-19. Please refer to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.
*This information can be found in the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations FAQs.
An employer should not require any documentation from an employee with COVID-19 to return to work.
Recording and Reporting COVID-19
What is Alameda County’s Workplace-Related COVID-19 outbreak reporting requirement?
As of January 1, 2023, general workplaces are no longer required to report outbreaks (three or more COVID-19 cases among employees in an "exposed group" within a 14-day period) to their local health jurisdiction. AB 685 is no longer in effect and general workplaces should instead refer to AB 2693 and the Cal/OSHA Reporting Requirements FAQ for the most up-to-date COVID-19 case reporting and recording requirements. Reporting requirements for specific special settings are unchanged. Please see Shelters and Congregate Living Facilities, Health Care Facilities, and School, Childcare, and Youth Congregate Settings for more information on special setting requirements.
Covered employers must continue to comply with the COVID-19 Non-Emergency Temporary Standards, for Cal/OSHA reporting requirements. Please visit: Cal/OSHA Covid-19 Prevention Non Emergency Regulations
You are encouraged, but not required, to notify the Alameda County Public Health Department at COVIDOB@acgov.org and submit COVID-19+ employee cases to SPOT if any of the following occur:
- Any hospitalization or death associated with an outbreak.
- 11 or more cases in 2 weeks.
- You are concerned that you are unable to manage the outbreak at your facility using guidance provided on Alameda County Public Health COVID-19 website at https://covid-19.acgov.org/recovery.
Employers must also report major outbreaks (20 or more employee COVID-19 cases in an exposed group, as defined by subsection 3205(b)(7), visited the worksite during their infectious period within a 30-day period) to Cal/OSHA. Search Cal/OSHA Reporting and report your major outbreak to the nearest Cal/OSHA district office.
As of March 1, 2021, the process for reporting individual workplace-related COVID-19 cases to the Alameda County Public Health Department has changed. Employers will now only report workplace-related COVID-19 outbreaks via the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT)—an online platform that facilitates collaboration and sharing of information with employers and the Alameda County Public Health Department through CalCONNECT (i.e., California’s public health contact tracing and data management system). SPOT is one of several tools that can assist workplaces in complying with state and local reporting requirements including Cal/OSHA, AB 2693, and California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Reporting workplace-related COVID-19 outbreaks via SPOT is a two-step process and the report is not considered complete until both steps are fulfilled.
STEP #1: Complete the SPOT Intake Form for WorkplacesOnce the SPOT Intake Form for Workplaces is submitted, the Key Point of Contact for the workplace location identified on the SPOT intake form will receive an email from SPOT. The Workplace Liaison will also receive a separate confirmation email with the Exposure Event number associated with this outbreak. Please allow up to 48 hours for this information to arrive.
STEP #2: Submit the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT)Once both emails including the SPOT account login information and Exposure Event number are received, the Key Point of Contact will enter the worker case and close contact information associated with this outbreak into SPOT. Please be sure to complete all requested fields in the SPOT portal to avoid delays in the reporting process.
- What if additional cases are associated with this same outbreak?
If additional cases are associated with this same outbreak (e.g., more cases occur at a later date), enter the additional information directly into SPOT. Do not resubmit the SPOT Intake Form for Workplaces unless the submission is for a new outbreak or a different worksite location.
- What happens after I submit an outbreak into SPOT?
Alameda County Outbreak Investigation staff may call you to obtain additional information or provide public health recommendations for managing an outbreak at your workplace.
For additional guidance on how to report workplace-related COVID-19 cases via California State’s Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT), please see the California Public Health Department SPOT Training Video and/or SPOT User Guide.
California employers that are required to record work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses must also record work-related COVID-19 cases as they would any other occupational injury, illness, or fatality. To be recordable, a work-related injury or illness must result in one or more of the following:
- Death
- Days away from work
- Restricted work or transfer to another job
- Medical treatment beyond first aid
- Loss of consciousness
- A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional
If a work-related COVID-19 case meets one or more of these criteria, then covered employers in California must record the case on their 300, 300A and 301 or equivalent forms.
See California Code of Regulations, title 8, Chapter 7, Subchapter 1, Article 2, Employer Records of Occupational Injury or Illness for details on which employers are obligated to report and other requirements.
Employers should report major outbreaks, serious injury, illness, and death to the local Cal/OSHA district office immediately. This includes in-patient hospitalization and death from COVID-19 even if work-relatedness is uncertain. Cal/OSHA prefers reports by phone but will also accept email reports to CalOSHAaccidentreport@tel-us.com
For additional information see Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Case Reporting FAQ, Title 8 Section 342 requirements, and AB 2693. To contact Cal/OSHA see the Cal/OSHA District Offices Contact Information webpage.
Per AB2693, as an alternative to the notice described in subdivision (a), the employer may provide written notice to all employees, and the employers of subcontracted employees, who were on the premises at the same worksite as the confirmed case of COVID-19 within the infectious period that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 in a manner the employer normally uses to communicate employment-related information.
Close contact notification:
The employer shall provide a written notice to the exclusive representative, if any, of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and of employees who had close contact with the confirmed cases of COVID-19 within one business day. The written notice can be hand delivered or given by email or text message and should be in both English and any other language understood by the majority of employees.
For additional information, please see Cal/OSHA Covid-19 Prevention Non Emergency Regulations and AB 2693.
In accordance with the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule, when communicating a potential exposure, employers must maintain the confidentiality of employees with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. While the aim is to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace by informing employees of potential exposures, no personally identifiable information (PII) should be shared with other employees when doing so. PII includes but is not limited to name, date of birth, address, phone number, and any other information that may deduce the identity of the infected employee.
Close contacts of cases should be given instructions on symptom monitoring and information regarding the closest COVID-19 testing sites. Sample language for employee-based COVID-19 exposure notification includes: “You may have been exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace. At this time, self-quarantine is not required but we recommend monitoring symptoms and testing between days three and five to watch for the potential onset of symptoms.” In the setting of an outbreak, there are additional requirements per Cal/OSHA for close contacts.
COVID-19 Testing
Do all employees need to get tested after someone at the workplace location tests positive?
No, not necessarily. Employees may have been exposed to COVID-19 if they were in “close contact” with an infected individual. Close contact is defined as “For indoor spaces of 400,000 cubic feet or fewer, a close contact is someone who shares the same indoor airspace with a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the COVID-19 case’s infectious period. For indoor airspaces of more than 400,000 cubic feet, a close contact is someone who is within six feet of a COVID-19 case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period during the COVID-19 case’s infectious period.In an outbreak, workplaces are subjected to Cal/OSHA’s Non-ETS requirements. Please see Cal/OSHA outbreak section in FAQ: Cal/OSHA's Outbreak Requirements.
For additional information see the Testing section of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulation FAQ.
For a list of COVID-19 testing sites within Alameda County, please visit the Alameda County Public Health Department Testing for COVID-19 webpage.
If your employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, thinks they were exposed to someone who has COVID-19, or the test is otherwise medically necessary for their situation, under federal law, they can obtain a COVID-19 test anywhere and their health plan must pay for the test.
If the employee is an essential worker, does not have symptoms, and does not think they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, they must contact their health plan before getting tested. The health plan must cover the test but will first need to help the employee get an appointment with a testing provider.
A viral test (nose or throat swab), which checks for current infection, is recommended to determine if a person can actively transmit COVID-19 to others. Conversely, an antibody test (blood sample), which checks for past infection, is not recommended to determine an employee’s current COIVD-19 status.
If your employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, thinks they were exposed to someone who has COVID-19, or the test is otherwise medically necessary for their situation, under federal law, they can obtain a COVID-19 test anywhere and their health plan must pay for the test.
If the employee is an essential worker, does not have symptoms, and does not think they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, they must contact their health plan before getting tested. The health plan must cover the test but will first need to help the employee get an appointment with a testing provider.
Preventing COVID-19 in the Workplace
How can I protect my employee’s from COVID-19?
Employers should continue to reiterate the following COVID-19 prevention messages to employees:
- If you are sick, do not come to work.
- Remain 6 feet apart from one another, whenever feasible.
- Wear a face covering whenever in the same area as others.
- Wash hands frequently, with soap and water (or use hand sanitizer with 60%+ alcohol).
- Do not touch eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Disinfect commonly touched areas, daily.
Furthermore, Cal/OSHA has developed guidance on the steps every employer should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Cal/OSHA requirements include employers review the guidance relevant to their industry, worksites, county variance guidance and criteria, as well as the guidance on Cal/OSHA safety requirements and existing procedures to ensure the workplace is protected from the spread of COVID-19. See Cal/OSHA Industry Guidance on COVID-19 for industry-specific information on protecting employee’s from COVID-19. For information on the use and care of masks, see the CDC’s masking webpage.
Workplace Steps to Controlling and Preventing COVID-19 Outbreaks (ACPHD, 4/3/2023)
In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following strategies may be executed by employers to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace:
Pre-Screening
Ask employees to self-assess their temperature and symptoms prior to the start of each work shift. Ideally, temperature checks should happen before the individual enters the facility. See the CDC’s list of COVID-19 symptoms for more information. Please be aware that this is not a list of all possible symptoms. Please call your healthcare provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
Face Covering Recommendation
Employees may wear face coverings whenever in the same area as others in the workplace. Employers can issue facemasks or can approve employees’ supplied cloth face coverings in the event of shortages.
Social Distancing Recommendation
Whenever possible, employees may maintain a six-foot distance from others and practice social distancing, as work duties permit, in the workplace.
Daily Cleaning and Disinfecting
Clean and disinfect all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment routinely, daily.
Workplace Resources
- CA Dept. of Industrial Relations
