Testing staff for COVID? CDC says you must now get 'informed consent'.

• Position: In The News...

As COVID testing becomes less expensive and more available, it's easier for employers to run workplace-based testing programs. If your organization is testing its employees, take note: New CDC guidance says that you must ensure employees understand the impact that testing will have on their employment.

Testing cannot be conducted without employees' "informed consent." This includes providing workers with "complete and understandable information about how the employer's testing program may impact employees' lives, such as if a positive test result... may mean exclusion from work." Employees must also be told what happens if they decline a test.

The CDC says you must use simple language to explain testing procedures and consequences. The agency provides guidance on developing easy-to-understand messages at...