We want to ensure that employees are aware of the issues relating to infectious diseases at work and how to minimise the risks of contracting and spreading diseases.
We have a duty of care to minimise the risk of all infectious diseases spreading in the workplace, including the more common ones: chickenpox, impetigo, scabies, norovirus, salmonella, influenza and mumps. This policy sets out a number of simple precautions that employees should take in order to prevent the spread of these common, but potentially dangerous, conditions to colleagues and visitors to our workplace.
It is our general policy that employees should not automatically be excluded from work if they are infectious, as long as their continued attendance at work does not present a risk of disease transmission to other colleagues or visitors. However, in the case of many common infections, the most effective way of reducing the risk of transmission is for those infected to stay away from the workplace for a few days, with work undertaken from home if you are otherwise well. Sensible infection control exclusion advice is set out below:
- Chickenpox: Stay off work until five days after the onset of the rash.
- Impetigo: Stay off work until lesions have healed or crusted.
- Scabies: Stay off work for 24 hours after completion of treatment.
- Norovirus: Stay off work for at least 48 hours after the stabilisation of symptoms.
- Salmonella: Stay off work for at least 48 hours after the stabilisation of symptoms.
- Influenza: Stay off work until symptom-free.
- Mumps: Stay off work until five days after the onset of symptoms.
- Covid-19: Stay off work until symptom-free and, if available, a negative rapid test is taken
As with all episodes of sickness absence, you should report any infection-related absence by following the reporting procedure in our sickness absence policy.
If you are in any doubt about whether or not to stay of work, please contact the HR Officer or your Line Manager.