If HR knows someone at work has covid, can they let employees know?

Post date: 2021-08-02 07:52:38

Any legal eagles on the green? Here's an example of a sticky issue that might come up at a certain workplace I know of: Let's say an employee has tested positive for COVID. They don't know if it's Delta or not.

HR knows, and this person's manager has just been told.

The COVID person's manager is trying to get clear on what they can tell the other employees.

HR says because of HIPAA regs, the manager can't mention the name of the employee who has COVID to other employees. They will let them know, however, that one of their co-workers has COVID, and that they were last in the office at a definite time on a certain day, and they'll be clear about the date and time. Just can't name the COVID person.

The COVID person, let's say, was in the office a few days ago without a mask, coughing.

Let's say the COVID person is an anti-vaxxer and their co-workers know it. Once it gets out that someone has COVID, most people will figure out who it was.

One other employee was definitely exposed. This employee was notified that he may have been exposed, and by whom.

Otherwise, what can this manager tell their employees?

My thought is that everyone needs to know the identity and health status of this person, immediately. Isn't the company open to legal action if someone else gets COVID, and they were unaware their co-worker had the virus because HR sealed off information about it?

Off the cuff, I'm thinking that every single darn employee needs to know their co-worker has COVID. Even if they weren't around that person on the day that this employee possibly exposed another co-worker, others are still vulnerable to getting the virus. But they don't know they're in danger. How can HR possibly defend not being clear about this?

What do you guys think, though?

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