What should you do if one of your staff tests positive to COVID?

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Posted March 23, 2022

We’ve been hearing it more and more from our members – a staff member has tested positive for a COVID infection but was working on the floor with clients and your team during their infectious period.

Thankfully, due to the mass vaccination rollout across Australia, the risk of Covid being life-threatening has been reduced and we are all starting to develop some immunity to this voracious disease.  But what are your obligations now as an employer? Read on for the latest information for salon owners.

First things first, the unwell staff member must isolate at home for 7 days. Ideally, a positive rapid antigen test (RAT) should be followed up with a PCR test to ensure that the results are accurate. If they are in the workplace at the time of their positive test results, tell them to return home immediately.
Full-time and part-time employees can take paid sick leave if they can’t work because they have COVID-19. If they have no paid sick leave left, they should arrange with their employer to take some other type of paid or unpaid leave. However, an employee needs to give their employer reasonable evidence that they aren’t fit for work due to COVID if the employer asks for it (like a photo of the positive RAT test or a report of their PCR test results).

For the safety of everyone in the salon, everything in the salon must be cleaned and disinfected immediately, from surfaces to mirrors and equipment.

HABA recommends that all staff members who worked with the COVID positive person take a RAT, and watch for symptoms. If symptoms develop within 7 days, and they receive a positive RAT or PCR test, then they too must isolate.

Situations like employees working together as a team, on a client’s face or hair, is not at this time considered a high exposure event, but a moderate exposure event – meaning that if your employee’s tests are negative and they do not have any symptoms, then they do not need to isolate. However, if a staff member is living with someone in their family who has COVID (referred to as a household contact), then they must isolate for 7 days upon their family member receiving a positive test.

Household contacts need to undergo a RAT as soon as possible once they are notified that their family member is COVID positive, and another RAT on day 6. If all RATs are negative, the worker can return to work after completing 7 days of isolation.

HABA members should check their state’s relevant health departments for up-to-date information regarding isolation and testing requirements.

Finally, HABA recommends treating the whole situation with a bit of grace and compassion. This continues to be a scary time for many employees and business owners, and we need to stick together to ensure we continue to be strong as an industry. A little patience now will pay dividends in the future.

 

Further advice

For further advice about this topic or any other workplace relations issues, please contact the HABA Advice Line on 02 9221 9911.