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Staph infection at work

dawnbrazwelldawnbrazwell 1 Post
in FMLA/ADA/Workers’ Comp Vote Up0Vote Down
An employee has told another employee that the open sore on her leg is a staph infection. The employee is off today. Are there any problems with calling her, telling her this has been brought to my attention and asking her to cover the infection when she returns to work?
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  • Sharon McKnight SPHRSharon McKnight SPHR 737 Posts
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    [quote=dawnbrazwell;723179]An employee has told another employee that the open sore on her leg is a staph infection. The employee is off today. Are there any problems with calling her, telling her this has been brought to my attention and asking her to cover the infection when she returns to work?[/quote]


    Your first post! Glad to have you with us on the Forum. :welcome:

    Regarding your question, sometimes doctors recommend that sore spots not be covered with a bandage to speed up healing, etc.

    I think you need to get more information from the employee and not rely on second hand information. Then you may want to consult with qualified employment law counsel regarding your options. If you need time to determine your next step, you might consider a temporary suspension (with pay) until you can be sure there isn't a problem with this employee being around other employees. If you go that route, be careful about how you explain it to the employee. But talk to an attorney first.

    By any chance, do you have a policy on infectious diseases?

    Do any other Forum members have any helpful hints on this one?

    Sharon
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