November 2 Tip of the Week

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has again updated their guidance regarding contact tracing in the workplace and employers need to understand these new challenges.  The CDC now defines a close contact as “Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.”  For employers who have employees working onsite within close proximity to one another, this presents increased challenges to ensure proper contact tracing of potentially infected employees.  Employers should update written policies and make sure employees understand these changes.  It is a good idea to require employees to keep a daily log of all close contacts they have with coworkers throughout the day to facilitate better contact tracing in accordance with the CDC’s new definition.  Consult with our attorneys to better understand an employer’s contact tracing obligations and update your pandemic policies to comply.