We're committed to supporting you, your workforce, and our community with updated information, resources and timely services. Please contact us at WellatWork@wellspan.org if we can support you in any way.
For the most up-to-date information and guidelines on COVID-19 testing, quarantining and more, please visit Pa. Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Vaccination Information Employer Toolkit Safety at Work
Vaccination Information for Employers
Vaccines are safe and effective and the best way to protect you and those around you from serious illness. All Pennsylvanians aged 5 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. All adults in Pennsylvania and children ages 12 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster. Based on the CDC recommendation, everyone 18 years and older can schedule a booster dose five months after receiving their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna or two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
We encourage all individuals to register for a MyWellSpan account to make an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or booster.
Log in to MyWellspan Create your MyWellSpan Account
Employer Toolkit
COVID-19 Employer Toolkit (updated January 2022)
Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Guides
Posters and Handouts
WellSpan Employee Assistance Program
Safety of Employees at Work
It is important to continue implementing mitigation strategies (i.e., social distancing at least 6-feet from one another, wearing proper PPE, etc.). Instilling confidence that it is safe to be on the job can be helpful. One way you might do this is via proactive communication through informing staff of the safety measures that are being taken to ensure a safe working environment.
Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in contact with a person with positive COVID-19.
As the CDC and DOH have suggested:
- Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, should self-quarantine, wear a well-fitted mask if you must be around others in your home and get tested even if you don’t develop symptoms. The CDC recommends that you get tested at least 5 days after your last close contact with someone who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. Visit the CDC website for more information on calculating quarantine.
- Those employees who are considered close contacts and exposed and are potentially exposed to a positive COVID-19 employee will need to self-quarantine for at least 5 days.
- The COVID-19 positive employee will need to take the following precautions to avoid putting other team members at risk:
- Watch for symptoms until 10 days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19.
- If you develop symptoms, isolate yourself immediately and get tested. Continue to stay home until you know the results. Wear a well-fitted mask around others. You do not need to stay home unless you develop symptoms.
- Get tested at least five days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19, even if you don’t develop symptoms.
The CDC and PA DOH do not recommend repeat testing for COVID-19 positive employees prior to returning to work. Additionally, asymptomatic employees who have been on self-quarantine for 10 days would not be required to obtain COVID-19 testing prior to returning to work.
Testing Information
Currently, COVID-19 testing is being provided at dedicated testing locations across the region. In addition, all WellSpan Urgent Care locations as well as most WellSpan primary care practices, and WellSpan lab locations provide COVID-19 testing. To learn more about our COVID-19 test collection site, click here.
Returning to Work for Non-Healthcare Workers after COVID-19 Exposure
Employers can refrain from requiring returning employees to obtain work excuses from their medical providers. These are not a requirement, nor recommended, by the Department of Labor or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
It is important to remember that one COVID-19 positive staff member could lead to multiple other exposed employees. The same precautions should be taken with all team members. Furthermore, facilities where these employees work should undergo thorough sanitization (guidance: CDC and PA DOH).
There is no doubt that a COVID-19 positive staff member can cause significant service disruption in an organization. We are hearing reports of employees who are refraining from self-reporting due to fear of losing their jobs. As leaders, it is important for staff to feel supported to do the right thing. If they do not, they threaten not only the livelihood of the organization, but also those around them.
Operational Considerations
Beyond staying home when feeling sick, one of the best pre-emptive measures is to reinforce social distancing with your teams. You might need to redesign workspaces to avoid crowding, stagger shifts, wear masks and sanitize all workspaces and common areas often.
Infectious diseases are spread through contact. Remove the contact, you could mitigate the chance of contracting the disease. Remember the hygiene rules you were taught when you were a kid—wash your hands, practice respiratory etiquette (cover your cough or sneeze) and protect yourself in many instances.
In addition, respect social distancing guidelines, whenever possible. In situations where social distancing is not possible, protect yourself and others by wearing a cloth face mask. For non-clinical use, fabric masks are generally adequate.
In our healthcare settings, gloves are worn routinely including when treating potential and positive COVID-19 patients. Likewise, when touching surfaces that are public and the sanitization practices are unknown, such as gas pumps, ATM machines and shopping carts, it might be wise to wear gloves. If you don’t have access to gloves, sanitize your hands immediately after touching these surfaces.
Consider what your sanitization protocol will be.
- How often will you clean?
- Who will provide the service?
- How will they be protected?
- What products will be used?
It is recommended that you use sanitizers that include at least 60 percent alcohol. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for time to be left on the surface for maximum benefit.
You will want to establish guidelines for onsite meeting participation to ensure social distancing can be maintained. The size of your conference rooms may dictate the appropriate group maximums. Post signage in high traffic areas reinforces these messages. WellSpan has information available in English and Spanish (see Poster link above).
Submit requests to wellatwork@wellspan.org for additional posters for your business.
Safety Expectations
It should help to make your expectations known to your employees and any ways you plan to enforce the expectations. If you want your employees to:
- Wear a mask and gloves
- Cover coughs
- Wash hands often
- Maintain social distancing
- Sanitize workspaces
- Stay at home when sick
Pre-Shift Screening
Facilities may initiate pre-shift temperature screening as part of the return-to-work process without quarantine.
Staff screening is a preemptive way of identifying potential COVID-19 positive cases. This can be as simple as reviewing a checklist of symptoms—fever, cough, shortness of breath—and administering a temperature check prior to the start of each shift. You can also require that employees stay home if they are sick. Guidance for implementing safety practices can be found here.
Training
WellSpan Occupational Health can provide employers with training on pre-shift temperature screening and educational resources for the workforce.
Onsite Testing Availability
One prevalent question being asked is the availability of onsite testing for employees. The onsite testing, we recommend is temperature screening. A digital forehead thermometer is safe and easy to administer at the beginning of each shift. We continue to explore how we can further support the needs of the employer community with additional testing options.
Continue to Seek & Receive Medical Care
We want to stress how important it is to direct someone suspected of having COVID-19 to call their primary care provider or the WellSpan Coronavirus Information Hotline at 855-851-3641. That will ensure your employee gets to the right care at the right place at the right time.
We’ve also heard from patients experiencing serious medical issues aside from COVID-19, including behavioral health concerns, that they are choosing not to come to the hospital for care over fear of contracting COVID-19 within the building.
Because of rigorous safety measures, our hospitals remain safe places to seek care for emergency conditions. Do not delay care for emergency conditions. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately if you have a life-threatening condition.
