updated January 6, 2022
Information for Businesses & Employers:
Waukesha County Public Health encourages all businesses and employers to implement the following mitigation strategies recommended by the CDC to stop the spread of COVID-19. Slowing the spread of COVID-19 can help reduce absenteeism due to illness and exposure while keeping your employees and patrons safe.
- Promote COVID-19 vaccination for employees. Persons aged 5 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. Vaccination is the best strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent hospitalizations and death.
- Encourage employees to wear masks in common areas and allow for social distancing.
- Let sick employees stay home. Any staff with COVID-19 symptoms should leave work and get tested. Positive staff members should isolate, while close contacts should quarantine. See additional FAQs for more specifics on isolation and quarantine periods.
- Promote excellent hand hygiene and regularly clean and disinfect common workspaces.
- Improve ventilation systems if possible.
If you are a business or employer looking to host an onsite vaccine clinic, send an email request to: [email protected].
If an Employee Tests Positive
The employee should isolate after they get their positive test result, regardless of their vaccination status.
Waukesha County Public Health encourages everyone to follow new national COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidance that eases quarantine and isolation rules. You can read the new guidance here.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), “this new guidance applies to the general population in the community, including workplaces and K-12 schools.” Frequently asked questions about the new guidance are available here. Additional, specific guidance will become available soon for healthcare personnel, correctional institutions, or homeless shelters.
Notify Their Close Contacts at Work
All workplace close contacts should be notified by the business or employer that they were exposed to COVID-19. An advantage to having fully vaccinated employees is that they do not have to take time off of work to quarantine if they do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Waukesha County Public Health still recommends that everyone who is a close contact follow new national COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidance. You can read the new guidance here.
All businesses and employers should document any workplace exposure. Release of isolation letters from Waukesha County Public Health are no longer required for employees to return to work.
Recommended: Waukesha County Public Health can provide a form letter template to use to notify close contacts of a work exposure. If you would like to request a letter template, please contact the Public Health COVID-19 Hotline at 262-896-8430.
Keep records of COVID-19 positive employee(s)' close contacts in the workplace. You will no longer provide that information to Waukesha County Public Health.
My Employee Was Exposed to COVID-19 Outside of Work
Employees who are exposed to COVID-19 outside of work should follow the above guidelines to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading in your business or organization.
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Information for Employees:
If you have been exposed to COVID-19 and begin to have symptoms, stop going to work and get tested. Contact your healthcare provider if you are experiencing severe disease.
Getting Tested
There are many locations in Waukesha County that you can go get a COVID-19 test. View information on Waukesha County community partners: Summit Clinical Labs and Village Primary Care Providers.
Both PCR/molecular and antigen tests are used to diagnose COVID-19. PCR/molecular tests are more reliable if you are getting tested without having symptoms. Antigen tests are less accurate than PCR/molecular tests but tell you your results quickly.
Stay isolated at home while you are waiting for your test results!
If You Test Positive
Self-isolate at home. You should not leave your home unless you need medical assistance. Notify your employer and close contacts that you tested positive for COVID-19. Your period of isolation will depend on your specific circumstances. Please review new national guidelines for more information.
A release of isolation letter from Waukesha County Public Health is no longer required to return to work. Try to stay in a specific room and away from others while you are sick. Wear a mask if you need to be around other people.
Do not forget to notify your employer if you need to quarantine. Waukesha County Public Health is no longer providing release from quarantine letters.
Get Vaccinated
The best thing you can do to protect yourself, your co-workers, your family and friends against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. Vaccinations continue to remain the most effective way to protect yourself from illness, hospitalizations, and death due to COVID-19, even against the Delta variant. If you have not been vaccinated, you can find where to schedule a vaccine appointment near you by going to https://www.vaccines.gov. COVID-19 vaccines are free.
Resources for Employees
• Symptoms of COVID-19
• COVID-19 Testing in Waukesha County
• COVID-19 FAQs
