Covid and employers duty of care

[Hedgehog44]

I want to know if I'm making a big thing out of nothing really. Lad in office goes into self isolation on Friday. His friend has tested positive and he has symptoms. Has taken test and results are due in next couple of days. AIBU that I am so cross that work haven't made this known to us that there is a potential Covid case in the office so we can choose how to conduct ourselves this weekend? Some of us have ill parents we could visit whilst potentially infected. Am I making something out of nothing? We have heard about this on the grapevine only as most of us WFH on a Friday and I feel so strongly that our bosses are making this decision for us. Should we have been told? Am I overreacting completely?

The government guidelines don't state that they need to inform you unless the person tests positive.

It's common sense that you should still be social distancing with anyone who is vulnerable, even when in their home.

Absolutely but some of us still live with our parents. It feels wrong that we haven't been given the option to be extra careful knowing we are potentially infected.

It's difficult because presumably they also owe him privacy - they wouldn't normally share medical details with other members of staff. I can see how they felt that a positive test would warrant breaking that but suspected didn't.

@Hardbackwriter admittedly I had not thought of his privacy in this although he has shared the news with someone for the rest of us to know. But yes I guess maybe employers can't divulge everything. Is Covid notifiable?

It is strange because his family will have to isolate until he gets tests results, so anyone working close to him should also have the option to self isolate.

If your work is a covid secure workplace and you are maintaining social distancing at work then the risk should be minimal. If you have had contact with an infected person keep in mind that you then yourself would not become infectious immediately.

It is better to wait till the employee gets a (possible) positive test and then identify contacts in the workplace of which you may or may not be one.

If you are not identified as a contact then really your workplace has no duty to inform you. The mitigation measure in place should be enough to keep you safe. However I agree that as a courtesy it would be good for them to let staff know.

@Bumble84 it will be interesting to see how they define a contact. I'm pretty sure I will be fine but the thought of unwittingly passing something on to someone who won't be is awful.

@Hedgehog44 generally if you’ve spent time with the person at under 2m you would be a contact, otherwise you wouldn’t be.

That puts about 5 of us as contacts then.

Why are you so close in work without PPE?

Yabu - The company legally cant give out staff medical information. No exceptions.

Until he presents work with a positive Covid test, they legally cannot tell people what he has told them however he can choose to tell whoever he likes as it is his medical information and so is not bound by law like your company is.

Even if he does test positive,your company still cannot name him, (even if it is obvious who they are talking about) as it is the result that is relevent to you as a public health concern, not the person's name. They legally can only tell people that "You have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, heres what you need to do now ..." Even if everyone in the office knows that "someone" = John Smith, your company legally cannot disclose his name to other staff members.

You have not got any right to know unless your colleague tests poitive. Even then you would only have to be informed if you were a close contact. This would be if you had spent 15 minutes or longer at less than 2 meters in the 48 hours before he showed symptoms. Just because it may be covid does not trump your colleagues right to privacy. If you were a close contact then it would be test and trace that inform you rather than your employer.

@Muchtoomuchtodo you try being in an office and being 2m apart all the time!

I think the fact that your workplace has not taken appropriate steps to ensure that employees can socially distance is more of a concern than the fact that they haven’t told you that someone showing symptoms has been for a test. Your displeasure at your employer is hugely misplaced.

Your employer can't share a staff member's medical records with you. In fact, the staff member is not obliged to tell his employers the result of the test. Employers can and should ask, but they can't compel the employee to give them medical information. He does need to tell contact tracers who his contacts are, if his test is positive.

However, if your workplace is "covid secure" there should be very few people who had any "close contact" with him.

[quote Hedgehog44]@Muchtoomuchtodo you try being in an office and being 2m apart all the time! [/quote]
I am in an office for a lot of my time at work and we are all doing very well at maintaining SD. It needs every single member of the team to be understanding and committed to it. It can be annoying and need a change of routine but it can be done.

And I’d much prefer this than have to self isolate for 14 days if a colleague tests positive.

I am surprised if people are sticking religiously to a 2m distance when they are at work all the time and get comfortable. Yes the measures are in place but I think people are being holier than thou when they say they never step out of place. When we all went back a couple of months ago I think everyone was conscious but we forget ourselves, we are only human.

@Bumble84 I think we are pretty much placed to socially distance, still in a confined space though. Sorry, only just saw your reply.

I haven’t been within 2m of anyone in our offices - you really shouldn’t be unless there are screens or you are wearing masks etc - if your office layout isn’t set up like that then it’s not Covid secure

@ceeveebee we were told wearing a mask was optional

I had a positive covid test and informed my manager last week. He then sent out an email to all staff in my team to inform them I had covid and what my symptoms were. I have been wfh since March so no other staff at risk. I have reported it and await a response from higher management. Is this GDPR breach and or gross misconduct?

[quote Hedgehog44]@Muchtoomuchtodo you try being in an office and being 2m apart all the time! [/quote]
You don’t have to be 2m apart at all times. You should not spend 15min less than 2m apart, which should be simple to achieve in most offices.

Your anger is directed at the wrong person / people. Track and trace would contact you if needed, work can’t divulge other people’s medical stuff to you.

However you’ve not been socially distancing in work. I work in an office and it is entirely possible. That’s what’s put your parents at risk, your actions, not work not notifying you.

Hopefully it’ll all be fine and you can use this as a wake up call.

If you’re work have set up your work stations to be socially distanced but you haven’t been because you’ve become complacent then it’s on you. You’re worried about your relatives now, but you weren’t before when you ‘forgot’ to socially distance? I hope you act more sensibly in work in future.

[quote Hedgehog44]@ceeveebee we were told wearing a mask was optional [/quote]
You knew better than that