Businesses: COVID-19 Guidelines for Employees Returning to Work

Employers: According to the latest guidance from the CDC, if you have employees home sick with COVID-19, they are no longer required to provide a negative COVID-19 test so they can return to work. CDC guidelines, which use a symptom-based strategy for rejoining the workplace, advises that individuals can return to work if they meet all the following conditions:

• It’s been at least 10 days since the initial symptoms (or 10 days since their first positive COVID test if no symptoms were experienced).
• No fever for 24 hours without using fever reducing medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.
• All COVID-like symptoms continue to improve.

Removing testing requirements lessens workers’ concerns about being fired from their positions, refused sick pay, or penalized in other ways for having to isolate at home. Shorter quarantine times minimize disruption to productivity by allowing workers to return to gainful employment sooner. A symptom-based strategy also helps relieve stress on public health systems that are treating our community’s more vulnerable individuals.   

For more COVID-19 guidance to help your business safely operate in Connecticut, please visit Business.CT.gov