COVID-19 VACCINATION DISTRIBUTION IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM: Guidance for Wisconsin Employers
- Employers can play an important role in supporting COVID-19 vaccination. A 2021 survey by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) found that for Wisconsin workers, their employers and coworkers are among the most trusted sources of information about vaccines. You are in the best position to protect your business or organization, customers, clients and staff from COVID-19. A few simple communications, policies and programs can encourage COVID-19 vaccination among your workforce and help keep employees—and your community—safe and healthy.
WHAT TO DO IF AN EMPLOYEE IS SICK, TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 OR WAS A CLOSE CONTACT:
- The CDC does not advise that employers require sick employees to provide a COVID-19 test result or a healthcare provider’s note to validate their illness, qualify for sick leave, or to return to work. Healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.
- If your employee tests positive or is identified as a close contact for COVID-19, public health officials advise that employers and employees work together to determine what dates the individual would need to remain in quarantine (absent from work). Official written documentation from public health can be requested by the positive individual through this form, but a resonse would not be available for at least 5 days after the individual is tested. Due to high case volume it is taking 5-7 days for test results to populate in our database. Because test results are necessary to create specific quarantine dates, official written documentation would not be available for at least 5 days after their testing date. It is also important to remember that health information is a protected matter and it is an individual’s choice to share protected health information needed to determine quarantine dates.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES/EMPLOYERS:
