--- title: "Contact Tracing: What to Do if an Employee Contracts COVID-19" description: COVID-19 cases are on the rise and it is likely you may have an employee test positive. Here's how to perform contact tracing in your workplace. image: https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/contact%20tracing%20what%20to%20do%20when%20someone%20contracts%20covid%20at%20work.webp --- - [Client Portal](https://www.axcethr.com/client-services/) - [Employee Login](https://www.axcethr.com/client-services/) [![AxcetHR Solutions Blog](https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/AxcetHR2021%20Blog/axcethr_logo_white%20(1).png)](https://www.axcethr.com/) - [About Us](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/) - [Corporate Philantropy](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/corporate-philanthropy/) - [Meet the Team](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/meet-the-team/) - [Values and Culture](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/values-and-culture/) - [Kansas PEO](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/kansas-peo/) - [Missouri PEO](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/missouri-peo/) - [Careers](https://axcethrsolutions.prismhr-hire.com/) - [Why Axcet](https://www.axcethr.com/why-axcet/) - [Why Choose Axcet?](https://www.axcethr.com/why-axcet/) - 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[Employee Safety & Risk Management](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/employee-safety-risk-management) - [Employee Benefits](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/employee-benefits) - [All about COVID-19 in the Workplace](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/covid19) - [Kansas & Missouri HR News](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/kansas-and-missouri-hr-news) - [Kansas City Interest News](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/kansas-city-interest-news) - [PEO/HRO](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/peo) - Choose Topic: - [Human Resources](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/human-resources) - Payroll Administrations - [Employee Safety & Risk Management](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/employee-safety-risk-management) - [Employee Benefits](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/employee-benefits) - [PEO](https://blog.axcethr.com/topic/peo) Play Audio Contact Tracing: What to Do if an Employee Contracts COVID-19 4:11 # Contact Tracing: What to Do if an Employee Contracts COVID-19 By [Randy Clayton](https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton) on [Nov 18, 2020](https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19) 3 min read [0 comment(s)](https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19#comments-listing) Share this: - - - - [whatsapp://send?text=https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19](whatsapp://send?text=https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19) - [mailto:?subject=Contact%20Tracing:%20What%20to%20Do%20if%20an%20Employee%20Contracts%20COVID-19&body=https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19](mailto:?subject=Contact%20Tracing:%20What%20to%20Do%20if%20an%20Employee%20Contracts%20COVID-19&body=https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19) ![contact tracing what to do when someone contracts covid at work](https://blog.axcethr.com/hs-fs/hubfs/contact%20tracing%20what%20to%20do%20when%20someone%20contracts%20covid%20at%20work.webp?width=1000&name=contact%20tracing%20what%20to%20do%20when%20someone%20contracts%20covid%20at%20work.webp) Though public health officials have used contract tracing for years to combat infectious diseases, you may never have heard of it before the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact tracing helps health professionals understand who’s infected and – in wider and wider ripples – who has been exposed and therefore also might be infected. By knowing where infections may be coming next, officials can help people take appropriate steps to help prevent further spread. The faster those actions take place, the more the disease’s impact is reduced. **Employers’ role in contact tracing** Employers, whose workplaces may be vulnerable to COVID-19 infections simply because employees are working together in the same location, have a responsibility to participate in contact tracing. This workplace exercise typically precedes the broader-scale contact-tracing process public health officials conduct. Contact tracing at the employer level is driven by ***close contacts*** not just contact. The CDC defines ***close contact*** as being “within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.” [Learn more about how close contact is defined in this blog post](https://blog.axcethr.com/cdc-redefines-covid-close-contact-now-includes-cumulative-exposure). [![cdc redefines covid close contact](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2652187/b533f47e-9490-442c-b96a-67530917cdf8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2652187/b533f47e-9490-442c-b96a-67530917cdf8) Specifically, employers should: **Plan ahead.** - Create a COVID-19 response policy that includes a description of the company’s contact-tracing procedures. Share the policy with all employees. Make sure they know that, if they test positive for the disease, they will be asked to provide a list of people (“contacts”) with whom they've had close contact with at work during the infectious period, which is 48 hours before symptoms appeared. - Appoint a COVID-19 coordinator or team to oversee activities related to the virus.  - To help ensure the list of people who were possibly exposed to COVID-19 is as complete as possible, prepare the questions you will use in interviews with infected employees to determine their movements.  - Establish processes that make it possible to quickly and accurately identify contacts, such as maintaining updated: - Meeting logs - Attendance records - Lists of workers, vendors, subcontractors and others who visit your workplace - Office floor plan and seating charts - Employee contact information - Be prepared to share these records with state or local health departments, which may request an employer’s assistance in their contact-tracing efforts. **[![Ask the Expert Randy Clayton](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2652187/f239d35b-5b66-4c5d-8f26-9bd518312eeb.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2652187/f239d35b-5b66-4c5d-8f26-9bd518312eeb)** **Act quickly.** - If you learn an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, act quickly to identify and notify co-workers who might have been exposed to the virus. **Maintain confidentiality.** - Employers may ask employees if they have symptoms of or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 without violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. - You cannot, however, disclose confidential details about infected employees, including their names and other personal identifying information, with anyone at work except staffers conducting a contact-tracing investigation – unless they grant their permission to do so. Kansas employers also should be familiar with the COVID-19 response bill signed into law June 9 by Governor Laura Kelly. It prevents COVID-19 patients and close contacts from being “compelled to participate in” contact tracing. Contact tracers and case investigators could face class C misdemeanor charges if they violate the law by not first informing contacts that their cooperation with health officials is voluntary. Since the best offense is always a good defense, remember that COVID-19 preventative measures can help eliminate or reduce the number of contact-tracing exercises a company must complete. To [limit opportunities for the virus to spread](https://blog.axcethr.com/20-easy-ways-to-maintain-a-healthy-workplace-during-covid-19), implement measures such as: - Staggering schedules - Encouraging remote-work arrangements - Holding virtual meetings - Creating workflows that limit interaction - Blocking access to common areas in the office The more you limit the times and places people can come into close contact with each other, the easier it will be should contact tracing become necessary.   [![Randy Clayton](https://blog.axcethr.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Randy%20for%20the%20blog.jpg?width=80&height=80&name=Randy%20for%20the%20blog.jpg)](https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton) Written by #### [Randy Clayton](https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton) Randy Clayton is the Safety and Health Consultant at Axcet HR Solutions. Clayton works closely with Axcet clients' safety committees, writes customized safety programs, performs OSHA walk-throughs to evaluate job hazards and assists clients when they must interface with OSHA. Clayton frequently provides safety training customized to the client's industry and company environment. Read more [View all posts →](https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton) ### Get HR Updates ### Table of Contents #### [How to Handle Employees Who Behave Badly Online ![How to Handle Employees Who Behave Badly Online](https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/how%20to%20handle%20employees%20who%20behave%20badly%20online.webp)](https://blog.axcethr.com/how-to-handle-employees-who-behave-badly-online) #### [![How Your Business Can Support Working Parents During COVID](https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/How%20Your%20Business%20Can%20Support%20Your%20Working%20Parent%20Employees.webp) How Your Business Can Support Working Parents During COVID](https://blog.axcethr.com/how-your-business-can-support-working-parents-during-covid) ## Let us know what you think... ![AxcetHR Blog](https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/AxcetHR2021%20Blog/axcethr_logo_white%20(1).png) - [Why Axcet](https://www.axcethr.com/why-axcet/) - [What We Stand For](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/what-we-stand-for/) - [Expertise](https://www.axcethr.com/expertise/) - [Employee Benefits](https://www.axcethr.com/services/employee-benefits/) - [Human Resources](https://www.axcethr.com/services/human-resources/) - [Payroll Services](https://www.axcethr.com/services/payroll-and-tax-administration-services/) - [Risk Management](https://www.axcethr.com/services/workers-comp-and-employee-safety-risk-management/) - [Meet the Team](https://www.axcethr.com/about-us/meet-the-team/) - [Subscribe to Latest Resources](https://www.axcethr.com/subscribe-to-the-latest-resources/) - [Resource Library](https://www.axcethr.com/expertise/resource-library/) - [\[ Client Portal \]](https://www.axcethr.com/client-services/) - - - - - Search for: Copyright © 2023 Axcet HR Solutions – Kansas City's PEO Since 1988 | [Privacy Policy](https://www.axcethr.com/privacy-policy/) | [Terms and Conditions](https://www.axcethr.com/terms-conditions/) | [**Join our Team – Careers »**](https://axcethrsolutions.prismhr-hire.com/) 10975 Grandview Drive Suite 200, Corporate Woods Building 27, Overland Park, KS 66210 | Call us: 913-383-2999 *The IRS does not endorse any particular For more information on [certified professional employer organizations](https://www.axcethr.com/why-axcet/certified-peo/), go to [www.irs.gov](https://www.irs.gov).* Remove cookies ![](https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=43031&fmt=gif) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Randy Clayton", "url" : "https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton" }, "dateModified" : "2024-07-19T19:36:42.961Z", "datePublished" : "2020-11-18T15:30:00.000Z", "headline" : "Contact Tracing: What to Do if an Employee Contracts COVID-19", "image" : [ "https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/contact%20tracing%20what%20to%20do%20when%20someone%20contracts%20covid%20at%20work.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.axcethr.com/contact-tracing-what-to-do-if-an-employee-contracts-covid-19", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.axcethr.com/hubfs/_logo_axcethr_primary.png" }, "name" : "Axcet HR Solutions" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.axcethr.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "US", "addressLocality" : "Kansas City", "addressRegion" : "MO" }, "aggregateRating" : { "@type" : "AggregateRating", "bestRating" : "5", "ratingValue" : "5", "reviewCount" : "100" }, "areaServed" : { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "United States" }, "award" : [ "IRS Certified Professional Employer Organization (CPEO)", "Award-Winning HR Solutions Provider", "SHRM Certified HR Professionals", "HRCI Certified HR Professionals" ], "contactPoint" : { "@type" : "ContactPoint", "areaServed" : "US", "availableLanguage" : "English", "contactType" : "Customer Service" }, "description" : "Award-winning Professional Employer Organization (PEO) providing comprehensive HR solutions, payroll services, employee benefits, and risk management to small and mid-sized businesses. 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Contact tracing helps health professionals understand who’s infected and – in wider and wider ripples – who has been exposed and therefore also might be infected. By knowing where infections may be coming next, officials can help people take appropriate steps to help prevent further spread. The faster those actions take place, the more the disease’s impact is reduced. Employers’ role in contact tracing Employers, whose workplaces may be vulnerable to COVID-19 infections simply because employees are working together in the same location, have a responsibility to participate in contact tracing. This workplace exercise typically precedes the broader-scale contact-tracing process public health officials conduct. Contact tracing at the employer level is driven by close contacts not just contact. The CDC defines close contact as being “within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.” Learn more about how close contact is defined in this blog post. Specifically, employers should: Plan ahead. Create a COVID-19 response policy that includes a description of the company’s contact-tracing procedures. Share the policy with all employees. Make sure they know that, if they test positive for the disease, they will be asked to provide a list of people (“contacts”) with whom they've had close contact with at work during the infectious period, which is 48 hours before symptoms appeared. Appoint a COVID-19 coordinator or team to oversee activities related to the virus. To help ensure the list of people who were possibly exposed to COVID-19 is as complete as possible, prepare the questions you will use in interviews with infected employees to determine their movements. Establish processes that make it possible to quickly and accurately identify contacts, such as maintaining updated: Meeting logs Attendance records Lists of workers, vendors, subcontractors and others who visit your workplace Office floor plan and seating charts Employee contact information Be prepared to share these records with state or local health departments, which may request an employer’s assistance in their contact-tracing efforts. Act quickly. If you learn an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, act quickly to identify and notify co-workers who might have been exposed to the virus. Maintain confidentiality. Employers may ask employees if they have symptoms of or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 without violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You cannot, however, disclose confidential details about infected employees, including their names and other personal identifying information, with anyone at work except staffers conducting a contact-tracing investigation – unless they grant their permission to do so. Kansas employers also should be familiar with the COVID-19 response bill signed into law June 9 by Governor Laura Kelly. It prevents COVID-19 patients and close contacts from being “compelled to participate in” contact tracing. Contact tracers and case investigators could face class C misdemeanor charges if they violate the law by not first informing contacts that their cooperation with health officials is voluntary. Since the best offense is always a good defense, remember that COVID-19 preventative measures can help eliminate or reduce the number of contact-tracing exercises a company must complete. To limit opportunities for the virus to spread, implement measures such as: Staggering schedules Encouraging remote-work arrangements Holding virtual meetings Creating workflows that limit interaction Blocking access to common areas in the office The more you limit the times and places people can come into close contact with each other, the easier it will be should contact tracing become necessary.", "author" : { "@id" : "https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton#author", "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Randy Clayton", "url" : "https://blog.axcethr.com/author/randy-clayton" }, "dateCreated" : "2020-11-18", "dateModified" : "2024-07-19", "datePublished" : "2020-11-18", "description" : "Though public health officials have used contract tracing for years to combat infectious diseases, you may never have heard of it before the COVID-19 pandemic. 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