Can we still require that employees wear masks?

Answer from Emily, SPHR: You can, yes. While the CDC has announced that those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 may go without a mask in most places, private employers still have the right to enforce mask wearing policies in their own workplaces, regardless of...

The Struggle to Hire and What Businesses Can Do About It

If you’re finding it difficult to hire employees, you’re not alone. Bloomberg reports that many small businesses are struggling to find people who currently want to work—in fact, 42% say they have jobs they can’t fill. The number of people quitting jobs right now is...

Can we ask employees for proof of COVID-19 vaccination?

Answer from Kara, JD, SPHR: You can ask employees for proof that they’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine, but you need to be careful about how you ask for it and what you do with the information. You should ask employees to provide proof that only includes their name,...

I’ve heard that OSHA released new COVID-19 workplace guidance. Are there any new requirements?

Answer from Kara, JD, SPHR: Technically, no. OSHA’s new guidance is advisory in nature and creates no new legal obligations. However, one of President Biden’s first acts after being sworn in was to sign an Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety that...

An employee of ours had a brief coughing fit today, but she says she just had something caught in her throat. As far as we’ve seen, she hasn’t experienced any symptoms associated with COVID-19 other than this one time. Do we need to send her home just in case? 

Answer from Kyle, PHR: No. If you’ve confirmed that she isn’t experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, I would recommend treating this instance of coughing as a one-off event and not indicative of the virus. You can remind her and other employees to stay home if they are...