Governor releases ‘Employer Playbook’ for safely reopening, responding to virus outbreaks

The Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening, issued by Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on July 24, 2020, offers guidance to help businesses reopen and provide a safe, clean environment for employees and customers. The following article highlights key provisions in the guidance for managing a COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace.

Managing an outbreak

First of all, the governor’s playbook is designed to supplement, not replace, other guidance issued by the CDPH, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the local health department (LHD) in the county or counties where the business is operating. It doesn’t apply, however, to health care, congregate living settings, or other workplaces covered by the California aerosol transmissible diseases standard applies.

Each employer is responsible for protecting employees’ health and well-being and appropriately responding in the event of an outbreak. Previous CDPH guidance provided that before reopening, all facilities must: