Not all employees can work from home. The workplace and the way to work pose an increased risk of infection for them. Tests in the company can help identify infections at an early stage and avoid further infections. In the future, employers are obliged to offer their employees corona tests.
Tests offer employees additional security
The previous voluntary testing efforts of many employers are highly to be recognized. With a Change in the occupational health and safety ordinance However, employers are now obliged to offer their employees who are not in the Homeoffice can work to offer a corona test once a week. Employee groups with an increased risk of infection should receive a test offer twice a week.
The tests are a necessary addition to the company’s infection protection and offer employees additional security. “In this way we can prevent chains of infection, protect health and ultimately avoid company closures. This new obligation has become necessary so that really all employees in the company become one Receive a trial offer“, Declared Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil. The changes are made by ordinance and are expected to come into force in the middle of next week.
Previously applicable measures continue to exist
The employers bear the costs of the tests. Employees are not obliged to accept the test offer. There is also no requirement to provide a certificate of the test result.
It is important, however, that so far applicable measures continue to exist:
- Limitation of the number of employees in closed work and break rooms,
- Home office if there are no operational reasons to the contrary,
- Formation of permanent company working groups,
- wearing mouth and nose protection in the event of unavoidable contact and
- the creation and implementation of operational hygiene concepts.
With the change, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance will be valid until 30. June 2021 extended. The Federal Cabinet has taken note of the second ordinance amending the Corona occupational health and safety ordinance.
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