Some Employers May Require Employees Get Tested for COVID-19 Before Coming Back to Work

Harris Rosen’s hotel empire is closed because of COVID-19 and he says that a critical condition of reopening his 8 hotels with nearly 7,000 rooms is testing his employees who show any potential symptoms of having the disease.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts already have tested more than 500 symptomatic workers at its on-site health clinic and drive-thru testing facility near Orlando, according to Time. When the chain reopens, it plans to have all employees fill out a questionnaire about their health and travel history, as well as have their temperatures checked upon arrival. Those with elevated temps will not be permitted on the worksite.

Employers across the country are debating how they will go about reopening and ensuring the safety and welfare of their employees. Not all companies have the ability to perform on-site testing, but some are looking into putting it in place. Amazon, based in Seattle, Wash., says it is setting up a system of labs to begin testing its workers across the country.

New rules issued in April by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission permits employers to test for COVID-19 as a condition of entering the workplace. However, the employers have to test all employees or have a valid reason to test a select few — such as those who have a persistent cough or other symptoms associated with the disease.

Consulting giant PwC is developing a mobile app for corporate clients that can track which employees are in close contact with each other and alert human resources who may be at highest risk for getting COVID-19. According to CNBC,  the app is a preview of the type of technology companies can use to ensure the health safety of their employees.

If someone at the workplace tests positive for COVID-19, HR can then look up which other employees who are at the highest risk by using the digital tracking system.

“Regular testing on a global scale, across all industries, would help keep people safe and help get the economy back up and running,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, according to Time.