The novel coronavirus has and will continue to affect many people across the globe. In the United States, mayors from several states have implemented a stay at home order that restricts individuals from leaving their home unless necessary in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. After just a few weeks of this order, many states are beginning to lift the stay at home order with restrictions. This has allowed certain businesses to reopen. However, according to Phil Galewitz’s article titled “Some Employers May Require Employees Get Tested for COVID-19 Before Coming Back to Work”, states that employers are searching for ways to maintain a safe work environment and protect their customers by testing their employees. Despite the backlash from people who argue there are no proper safety measures for employees, employers like Rosen are moving forward by using their resources to provide adequate and thorough testing for the coronavirus.
Galewitz reports employers believe screening their employees can help reduce the spread of the disease thus creating a safer work environment. He supports this claim by stating that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission created new rules that passed in April, which allows employers to collect information on their employees’ health as long as it is specifically related to the coronavirus. Galewitz further supports this claim by providing several examples of businesses who have begun to develop ways to test their employees. One of these examples is Harris Rosen from Florida, the owner of Rosen Hotels & Resorts who plans to reopen his hotels late spring or summer. In order for his employees to be able to work, Rosen states they will all get their temperature taken. Anyone with a temperature reading above 99°F will not be allowed on the work site and will be sent home. Additionally, Rosen has also developed a strategy to quickly test his employees. Fortunately, he has been able to test over “500 such workers at its employee health clinic and its impromptu drive-thru testing site near Orlando.” Furthermore, he also plans to screen his employees by having them fill out questionnaires pertaining to their health and travel history.
Although not all companies might have employee health clinics. As America slowly reopens, Galewitz briefly reports business owners have identified several issues that could possibly cause setbacks and other problems. Because this process would be based on trial and error, one of their main concerns is the accuracy of test kits. Not all tests are 100 percent accurate therefore, additional screening would be necessary. This means companies would need to come up with other methods and would require more resources in order to thoroughly screen their employees. Galewitz also addresses that when individuals contract the disease, there is a 14-day delay for symptoms to manifest which creates a window for the virus to spread. Even after an individual is tested, “it also takes at least a day to get results back” giving the virus another opportunity to spread. Due to the growing numbers of confirmed cases, companies are also concerned about the number of tests kits they are able to obtain. However, Galewitz assures us that this would not be a problem since President Donald Trump stated in a White House meeting that “Our ability to test exceeds the current demand.” Meaning, the United States is equipped with more tests than it actually needs thus business owners should not be concerned whether they will be able to access the necessary amount of test kits.
Based on the evidence that Galewitz provides, I believe it would be a great idea for employers to screen and test their employees for coronavirus. Each business should develop a strategy that would fit their needs accordingly since every business has different staff volumes. These strategies should determine what method would be the most efficient, quickest, and budget friendly. Once a strategy has been developed, it is also important that they create an action plan as to how they intend to maintain a safe work environment while also addressing employee concerns.
In my personal opinion, I think a company would greatly benefit if they test all their employees before reporting to their first day of work giving themselves a two-day window. This would allow companies enough time to get all test results back. Employees with negative test results should be allowed on the worksite after being provided with safety gear such as masks, gloves, sanitizer, and alcohol wipes. Companies should then brief employees on the safety procedures that will be implemented in order to keep and maintain a safe work environment such as wiping down their workstations, etc.
Should there be any employees with positive test results, the company should then contact each individual and provide an action plan that would allow each person to recover at home for a period of three weeks. I believe 3 weeks would be a safe recovery time as it would allow any lingering amounts of virus to be completely flushed out of a person’s system after the initial 14-day self-isolation period. Once the three-week period is over, businesses should then reach out to those individuals and require them to take a second test. If the second test results are negative, then the individuals should be allowed to return to work with appropriate safety gear. However, I do believe companies are also concerned with the costs of creating a virus-free work environment. But as Galewitz reported, “if it gives us more information to keep people safe or provide a safer environment for folks then that is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Nevertheless, despite the obstacles that companies might encounter when reopening their businesses, it is without a doubt they will benefit from thoroughly screening all their employees.