Workplace Guidance

In accordance with the Alameda County COVID-19 Isolation Health Order, all individuals who have been diagnosed with or are likely to have COVID-19 must immediately isolate themselves in their home or another residence without leaving their place of isolation, except to receive necessary medical care (see COVID-19 Isolation Instructions: English | Spanish). Employees should not return to work until they have consulted a healthcare provider and/or met the criteria to discontinue home isolation.

If an employee has been exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace, they should be told to self-quarantine to monitor signs and symptoms of infection; the employee should also be encouraged to get tested for COVID-19. Please note, if the employee receives a negative test result before their quarantine period ends, the employee should continue to quarantine since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after initial exposure to the virus.

For additional details on where to get tested and how to quarantine after a potential exposure, see COVID-19 Testing Locations and COVID-19 Quarantine Instructions.

Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers are defined as those whose work is required to sustain normal day-to-day services that enable public health and safety, as well as economic and national security. If someone in an essential critical infrastructure worker role has been exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace but remains asymptomatic, the employee can return to work during their 14-day quarantine period, with certain caveats. (See Early Return to Work for Asymptomatic Workers in Critical Infrastructure Who are Quarantined Following COVID-19 Exposure for additional information.)

If the employee becomes sick during the day, they should be sent home immediately. Surfaces in their workspace should be cleaned and disinfected. Information on persons who had contact with the ill employee during the time the employee had symptoms and 2 days prior to symptoms should be compiled. Others at the facility with close contact within 6 feet of the employee during this time would be considered exposed. (See Critical Workers: Interim Guidance, CDC for additional information.)

Yes. To support a safe and clean environment for workers and consumers, employers and business facilities must prepare and implement a COVID-19 Worksite-Specific Protection Plan before they reopen.

All Businesses (except construction projects)
Use the COVID-19 Worksite-Specific Protection Plan Guidance & Template: English | Chinese (Simplified) | Spanish to develop your own Worksite-Specific protection plan.

For technical assistance, contact the COVID Recovery Team at COVIDrecovery@acgov.org.

Yes. Below is a list of local industry-specific reopening guidance you can reference for a safe reopening. See California State Industry Guidance to Reduce Risk and the California State COVID-19 Employer Playbook for State required guidelines. If you have questions or concerns about the State’s Industry Guidance, please call their COVID-19 hotline at 1-833-422-4255.

• Arts Community Guidance
• Office Workplace Guidance
• Home Visiting Guidance: This guidance is provided for faith and community leaders who rely on home visits to extend services to their community members during shelter in place.

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• Restaurant Operating Procedures

Effective March 1, 2021, non-healthcare/non-congregate setting workplaces are only required to report COVID-19 outbreaks to the Alameda County Public Health Department—which is defined as 3+ cases within a 14-day period, among workers who do not live in the same household.

To report a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace, please complete the SPOT Intake Form for Workplaces via California State's Share Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). Once the information you enter is reviewed, you may be provided supplemental login credentials to enter additional details about persons involved in the exposure.

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 State’s Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking is an online platform that facilitates the 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 685, and California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

For 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.

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 685, 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.

Once 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.

If additional cases are associated with an outbreak you already submitted via SPOT, please 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. 

For 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.

For 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 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

Additional details on Cal/OSHA reporting, district office contact information, and Title 8 Section 342 requirement are available online.

Employers must provide a written notice to all employees who may have been in close contact with an infected employee, within 1 business day of receiving notification of potential exposure. 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

In accordance with the federal HIPPA 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 home quarantine and symptom monitoring, 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, we ask that you either get tested or self-quarantine to watch for the potential onset of symptoms.

In accordance with AB 685 (Chapter 84, Statutes of 2020), upon identifying a COVID-19 case in the workplace, you need to provide the following information:

1.    Notice to your employees and the employer of subcontracted workers that they may have been exposed to COVID-19: You can inform other workers of the dates that an individual with COVID-19 was at the worksite but should not share information that could identify the affected individual. You must also provide this information to the exclusive labor representative, if any.

2.    Information about benefits & options: You must provide your employees with information about COVID-19 benefits under federal, state, or local laws. This includes workers' compensation, company sick leave, state-mandated leave, supplemental sick leave, negotiated leave, and anti-retaliation and anti-discrimination protections.

3.    A disinfection & safety plan: You need to inform your employees and the employer of subcontracted workers of your disinfection and safety plan for the worksite, in accordance with CDC guidelines. You must also provide this information to the exclusive labor representative, if any.

An employer should not require any documentation from an employee with COVID-19 to return to work (i.e., a negative test result is not required from an employee to return to work). The Alameda County Public Health Department follows CDC’s symptom-based and time-based strategies to determine when a person with COVID-19 may be released from home isolation. For additional details, see Table 1: COVID-19 Return-to-Work Criteria (above) and/or please refer to the CDC's Isolation Guidance.

No. The Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) follows CDC’s symptom-based and time-based strategies to determine when a person with COVID-19 may be released from home isolation; the ACPHD does not require or encourage the requirement of a negative test result—or any other additional clearance measures—for an employee to return to work. For more information, please refer to the CDC's Isolation Guidance.

Please note, however, health care personnel and staff at Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs), Residential Care for the Elderly (RCFE) and other residential sites, will have additional restrictions when returning to work after having COVID-19. See CDC guidance for health care personnel return-to-work criteria.

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.

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.

Clean and disinfect all areas potentially used by the sick employee including their workspace, bathrooms, common areas, doorknobs, and shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATM machines.

In most cases, it is not necessary to shut down your facility. If it is feasible to close off affected areas, the cleaning and disinfection of these areas should occur based on CDC guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection for the Workplace. Once areas have been appropriately disinfected, they can be reopened for use.

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 recommends 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.

Download a printable version of the Mask Required for Entry Poster, 04/01/2021: English (Other Languages Coming Soon)

Employers should require that all personnel (e.g., employees, contractors, volunteers, etc.) to conduct a self-assessment of symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19 before the start of each shift.

Screening Guidance for Employers, Businesses, and Organizations: English | Arabic | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | Farsi | Khmer | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese

Self-Assessment Guidance for Workers: English | Arabic | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) |Farsi | Khmer | Karen | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese

In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following strategies should 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.

Regular Monitoring
Employees without symptoms of COVID-19 should self-monitor under the supervision of their employer’s occupational health program.

Face Covering Requirement
Employees should 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 Requirement
Whenever possible, employees should 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.

Download a printable version of the Mask Required for Entry Poster, 04/01/2021: English (Other Languages Coming Soon)

In accordance with the August 28, 20202 Alameda County Health Order, an employee must wear a face covering when in the workplace, except when in a private space or area not regularly used by others. They must wear a face covering when preparing food or other items for sale or distribution to people who are not members of their household or living unit. They may remove their face covering when eating or drinking if they are alone or with only members of their Social Bubble and nobody else is within six feet.

Employers who operate non-healthcare businesses should follow the Alameda County General Business Ventilation Guidance to reduce possible airborne exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 in rooms and buildings. This guidance should be used for determining the most effective combination of methods for increasing indoor ventilation and air filtration.

Alameda County General Business Ventilation Guidance (ACPHD, 1/13/21): English | Arabic | Khmer | Korean | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese