Memo: COVID-19 Employee-Screening Procedures

Effective [date], all employees reporting to work will be screened for respiratory symptoms and have their body temperature taken as a precautionary measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Every employee will be screened, including having his or her temperature taken, when reporting to work. Employees should report to [location] upon arrival at work and prior to entering any other areas of [company name] property.

Each employee will be screened privately by [insert name or position] using a touchless forehead/ temporal artery thermometer. The employee's temperature and answers to respiratory symptom questions will be documented, and the record will be maintained as a private medical record.

Time spent waiting for the health screening should be recorded as time worked for nonexempt employees.

An employee who has a fever at or above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or who is experiencing coughing or shortness of breath will be sent home. The employee should monitor his or her symptoms and call a doctor or use telemedicine if concerned about the symptoms.

An employee sent home can return to work when:

• He or she has had no fever for at least three (3) days without taking medication to reduce fever during that time; AND

• Any respiratory symptoms (cough and shortness of breath) have improved; AND

• At least ten (10) days have passed since the symptoms began.

An employee may return to work earlier if a doctor confirms the cause of an employee's fever or other symptoms is not COVID-19 and releases the employee to return to work in writing.

An employee who experiences fever and/or respiratory symptoms while home should not report to work. Instead, the employee should contact his or her immediate supervisor for further direction. 

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-forms/pages/memo-covid-19-employee-screening-procedures.aspx