Many workers are concerned about contracting corona at work. But what should you do if a colleague tests positive?
- No home office despite Corona: Not all people can be susceptible to their Work follow up at home.
- Many workers are afraid of feeling Work with the Coronavirus to become infected.
- What to do when a colleague is infected with corona virus at the Work positive for Corona tested.
Frankfurt – The Coronavirus has a firm grip on people’s daily lives. Only in the workplace does the situation remain largely unchanged. The daily way to the Work is for many people the only situation in which they still leave their own four walls. But what is to be done, if straight there the danger of an infection with Corona lurks? Many employees would rather not go to work at all because of the risk of infection. For: what to do if a colleague at work tested positive?
Questions that also played a key role for those affected by a case in Hofheim am Taunus* that became known at the end of 2020. There an employee of a company was tested positive for Corona tested. A scenario on the Work, which people in many places are afraid of.
Corona at work – the employer must take action
One thing is clear: First of all, it is important for employees not to panic and to keep a cool head when a concrete case of suspected corona or even a confirmed infection with the Corona virus in which Work becomes known. Above all, it is important that the applicable hygiene and distance regulations are observed and strictly adhered to. Employers must take action and fulfill their duty of care and protection to prevent possible infection with Corona to be prevented by further educational and protective measures.
This means that the employer must report the person who has been exposed to a Corona infection or the concrete suspicion of having been infected with Corona infected, must be sent home immediately. This also applies to all employees who are classified in their Work had direct contact with this same colleague. This measure is maintained until it has been finally clarified whether a corona infection is actually present.
Protection from corona at work: sensitivity in dealing with symptoms is required
In purely legal terms, however, employers and works councils do not have the option of obliging colleagues suspected of being infected with Corona to visit a doctor. However, the employee is in breach of contractual obligations if, despite symptoms indicating infection with the Coronavirus point, on the Work appears. He should immediately seek medical attention and not conceal the symptoms out of a possibly false sense of duty and continue to work. Sensitivity in dealing with signs that point to Corona The most important thing is to be aware of any signs of infection in order to protect yourself and your colleagues.
| at least 15 minutes of contact with the affected person | Less than 15 minutes of contact with the affected person |
| No protection by wearing mouth-to-nose protection | Proper wearing of mouth and nose protection |
| More than 30 minutes in a room with high aerosol concentration | Less than 30 minutes in the room with enriched aerosols |
Corona at work: which group is at highest risk??
In the case of contact persons, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) distinguishes between two categories. Category 2 includes all persons who have had only brief fleeting contact with the affected colleague. This means the contact did not last longer than 15 minutes and the mouth-to-nose coverage according to Eurostandards was properly worn. The risk of being exposed to Corona The risk of infection in this group is therefore low.
Accordingly, category 1 includes all employees who have at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted contact without protection by a mouth-nose mask with Corona infected person and were therefore exposed to a higher risk of infection. Persons who have been in a room with a high concentration of infectious aerosols for at least 30 minutes are also included in this group.
Fear of Corona at work: employees cannot quarantine themselves
Üabout any precautionary measures with regard to the further spread of the Coronavirus finally decides the Health Department. Will a 14-day domestic Quarantine ordered, this is mandatory to comply with. Failure to comply with this order may even result in the quarantine being enforced in court.
Whether also the employees of whole departments or even of the whole company, who have no contact to the with Corona infected person had been infected by the work are sent home, is thereby in the discretion of the employer. Some workers are afraid of getting infected at work with the Coronavirus to be infected, but could not have simply infected himself in Quarantine because they are still contractually obligated to do their jobs.
If there are concerns about going to the office*, employees have merely the possibility of asking her respective superiors to give her Work in the home office. If this is not possible either, the only option is probably to take vacation days in order to avoid the risk of a Corona infection to minimize.
Work and Corona: how long will the money be paid during quarantine?
Should it come to that, that an employer after a confirmed Corona infection of an employee has to take action and send parts of his workforce home, employees don’t have to worry about their salaries. All those who have lost their work also during the arranged Quarantine The employees who are able to perform their work in the home office fulfill their contractual work obligation and therefore receive their regular salary without restriction.