Recently, the state of California revised its COVID-19 workplace rules and they went into effect on Friday, Jan. 14. Some of the changes from Cal/OSHA include:
- Employees will not be able to self-test at home and read their results by themselves. COVID-19 tests now have to be done in front of a health care representative, a supervisor, or the employee must go to a laboratory to get tested.
- If employees choose to wear a fabric mask, instead of a surgical or medical one, the new rules say it needs to be “’tightly woven fabric or non-woven material of at least two layers’ that does not let light pass through when held up to a light source.”
- Employers must make COVID-19 testing available to fully vaccinated employees after close contact.
- During an outbreak, employers must make COVID-19 testing available to their employees, regardless of vaccination status, on a weekly basis during paid time.
The new rules are set to expire in mid-April.
Many local business owners are already dealing with COVID-related staffing shortages and the added stress of keeping up with the new rules can become an extra burden for them. The shortage in at-home rapid tests doesn’t make the situation any easier.
Coming up on News Channel 3 at 4 p.m., hear from local businesses owners and how they are trying to keep up with all the changes in COVID workplace rules.
