Vaccination controls and policies, screening guidance for workplaces
Employers can access two new guidance documents that explain how workplace screening and vaccination can help protect workers and workplaces from COVID-19. The Ontario government has released guidance on vaccination controls and policies, as well as screening in the workplace.
1. COVID-19 vaccines and workplace health and safety
Learn how COVID-19 vaccines help protect you and make your workplace safer:
- How COVID-19 vaccines protect people
- Vaccination and COVID-19 workplace control measures
- Workplace vaccination supports and policies
This guidance document explains how vaccines work to protect you when you are vaccinated, why COVID-19 workplace control measures need to be maintained even after workers are vaccinated, and some considerations for employers about workplace policies and supporting their workers to get vaccinated.
Workplace controls are measures employers use to help prevent workers from being exposed to hazards like those posed by COVID-19. While vaccines help protect workers from getting sick if they are exposed, workplace controls help prevent workers from being exposed to COVID-19 in the first place.
To protect workers and help reduce the chance of COVID-19 transmission at the workplace, it is important to maintain workplace control measures even after vaccination.
2. Screening for COVID-19: guidance for employers
Learn about workplace screening for COVID-19 to help protect workers and how rapid antigen (point-of-care) tests can fit into your screening program:
- Protecting workers
- Screening to help reduce COVID-19 transmission
- Types of screening
- Screening workers
- Screening non-workers
- Screening results and next steps
- Other considerations for rapid antigen screening
This guidance provides employers with an overview of workplace screening for COVID-19 and information to help them make decisions about the use of rapid antigen screening.
Screening helps keep infected workers and others from entering the workplace thereby reducing possible workplace transmission:
- Question-based screening uses information about symptoms and exposures to identify people who may be infectious
- Rapid antigen screening is used to help identify people who are infectious before they develop symptoms
To protect workers and help reduce transmission, workers who passed screening must continue to follow all public health and workplace control measures including masking and maintaining physical distance.
Additional Resources
- Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace
- Ontario Making it Easier to Administer Rapid COVID-19 Testing in the Workplace
- Infectious Disease Emergency Leave
- Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit
- Develop your COVID-19 workplace safety plan
- COVID-19 safety checklist for workplaces
- COVID-19 self-isolation and return to work