Over the weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom released new guidance for employers, called the COVID-19 Employer Playbook For a Safe Reopening, to help employers plan and prepare for the reopening of their businesses and maintain a safe work environment.  The “Playbook” provides important guidance on how to handle a COVID case in the workplace and when it is safe for employees to return to work, among other topics.  While we encourage employers to read the 32-page document in its entirety, here is a summary of key provisions:

• Develop a work-site specific COVID-19 prevention plan
• California has already required this plan, but the Playbook provides a checklist and further guidance
• Ensure that employees are aware of certain sick leave entitlements, including the CFRA and new categories of leave under the FFCRA

• Communicate identified COVID cases to your local health department (LHD), and work with the LHD to track suspected and confirmed cases among your workforce
• Notify all employees who have potentially been exposed to an infected individual, but maintain the confidentiality of the infected employee
• After a COVID case has been confirmed in the workplace, seek guidance from the LHD to develop a testing strategy or alternative method for controlling the outbreak
• Consult with the LDH and most recent CDC guidance for when a confirmed case may end home isolation and return to work
• Take heightened cleaning and disinfecting measures after an infected employee has been present in the workplace

• These measures are described in detail in the Playbook

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions.