Recovery | COVID-19 | Alameda County Public Health

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California Safer at Work

COVID-19 Workplace Resources

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Cal/OSHA Requirements

COVID-19 Prevention Standards

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Outbreak Reporting

Report Workplace-Related COVID-19 Outbreaks of 3 or More Cases in a 14 Day Period

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COVID-19 Cases in the Workplace

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Workplace Isolation Requirements

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Returning to Work After COVID-19

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Recording and Reporting COVID-19

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COVID-19 Testing

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Preventing COVID-19

Workplace Resources

Prevention Strategies

Mobile Vaccinations at Your Workplace
Free Community Testing Sites

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
Subscribe to our Newsletter for Guidance and Updates

COVID-19 Cases in the Workplace

Employees who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 (known as a “case”) in the workplace should immediately be separated from other people (e.g., coworkers, consumers, etc.) and sent home; employees who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 while away from the workplace should notify their supervisor and stay home. “Employers are required to follow the Cal/OSHA isolation and quarantine guidelines. For additional information see the California Department of Public Health Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines. Employees who are exposed to COVID-19 should be encouraged to get tested.

A workplace “close contact” is any employee who has potentially been exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace by having shared airspace of an employee who tested positive for COVID for at least 15 minutes within a 24-hour period during the cases infectious period.

See here for detailed workplace steps to controlling and preventing outbreaks.

Workplace Isolation Requirements

In the workplace, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard (PDF), and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements. For isolation requirements for employees please see Alameda County's Isolation and Quarantine guidance. Please play close attention to the notes related to Workplace Settings.

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.

If you or your employee(s) feel symptoms after your COVID-19 vaccine, carefully read and follow this one-page guidance. Post-Vaccine Symptoms Guidance

This guidance is for symptomatic employees/workers who have received a COVID-19 vaccine in the prior 5 days (Day 1 is day of vaccination) and have NOT had a close contact with a COVID-19+ person during the previous 14 days.
Staff who are symptomatic post-vaccine and are within 14 days of a close contact should be excluded from work and evaluated by a health care provider (HCP) for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Returning to Work After COVID-19

Alameda County workplaces must follow BOTH Cal/OSHA and Alameda County requirements:

Employers are required to follow the Cal/OSHA isolation and quarantine guidelines.

For additional information, see the California Department of Public Health Isolation and Quarantine Guidelines.

Q: Does an employee need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or documentation to return to work?

In Alameda County, proof of a negative test is not required if isolation is ended after 10 days so long as the case does not have a fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medication, and symptoms are improving. “Isolation can end and employees may return to the workplace after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving, and a diagnostic specimen* collected on day 5 or later tests negative. For employees who are asymptomatic, exposed employees must test within three to five days after their last close contact. Persons infected within the prior 90 days do not need to be tested unless symptoms develop.
* This information can be found at Cal/OSHA ETS FAQ.

An employer should not require any documentation from an employee with COVID-19 to return to work.

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.

Recording and Reporting COVID-19

What is Alameda County’s Workplace-Related COVID-19 outbreak reporting requirement?

In accordance with Cal/OSHA, AB 685, and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reporting requirements, employers are required to report workplace-related outbreaks to their local health department. An outbreak reporting threshold at a non-healthcare or non-congregate setting workplace is considered 3 or more cases within a 14-day period, among employees who do not live in the same household, and who were physically present at the workplace during their infectious period. Alameda County uses the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) to report workplace outbreaks. Please submit only one SPOT intake form once your facility has met the outbreak reporting threshold. Submit any additional employee COVID cases directly into SPOT.

An outbreak is three or more cases that are epidemiologically linked during the infectious period.

The infectious period is defined as:

(A) For COVID-19 cases who develop COVID-19 symptoms, from two days before they first develop symptoms until all of the following are true: it has been 10 days since symptoms first appeared; 24 hours have passed with no fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications; and symptoms have improved.
(B) For COVID-19 cases who never develop COVID-19 symptoms, from two days before until 10 days after the specimen for their first positive test for COVID-19 was collected.

Note: An outbreak at a healthcare setting, including but not limited to an acute care hospital, outpatient clinic, or congregate living facilities, should visit our Healthcare Facilities webpage for more information on how to report cases.

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.

STEP #1: Complete the SPOT Intake Form for Workplaces

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.

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 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 (working within shared airspace for 15 minutes or more) 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 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 monitor symptoms and test between days three and five 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 is no longer required, but still strongly recommended by Alameda County Department of Public Health.

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, which is defined as sharing the same indoor airspace for 15 minutes total over a 24-hour period. (Example: 3 different / 5-minute encounters equal a 15-minute exposure). Employees without close contact with the person who is sick can return to work immediately after cleaning and disinfection of affected workplace areas.

For additional information see the Testing section of the Cal/OSHA ETS FAQs.

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 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 | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | Spanish | Vietnamese

The Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) requires that all personnel (e.g., employees, contractors, volunteers, ets.) to be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 before the start of each shift. See Cal/OSHA’s ETS webpage for more information.

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.

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

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.

Download a printable version of the Mask Required for Entry Poster, 04/01/2021: English | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | Spanish | Vietnamese

Employers who operate non-healthcare businesses are required to follow ventilation requirements included in the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). Employers should refer to the Cal/OSHA ETS FAQ and the California Department of Public Health's Interim Ventilation Guidance for information on how to improve workplace ventilation.