
Quoting
mrtenebrae
My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: Minnesota
(I post this query here as there doesn't seem to be a precise category for this topic.)
Can my employer make it mandatory that we employees have our temperature taken before beginning each work day due to COVID 19? I work for a retailer. If you refuse to have your temperature taken and answer their questions, you can not work that day.
We must report to a certain part of the building, sanitize our hands, clock in on a computer terminal, and have our temperature taken with an infrared forehead thermometer. We must also answer some questions such as, do you have diarrhea, have you experienced a temperature since you last worked, and some others that could be indicative of being sick.
This temperature taking ,question asking daily ritual is conducted by employees with no medical training, or degree or certificate such as a nurse, nursing assistant, medic, etc. If you are running a fever or answer yes to their questions, they are authorized to send you home and you are paid for the day. If I understand correctly, you must not work for 3 days before returning to work. I don’t know if you must then get tested for COVID 19 under these circumstances.
Due to health issues and conditions, I take my own temperature each day and I also have an oximeter that I use numerous times a day. If I have a fever or oximeter isn’t giving favorable readings, or have any suspicious symptoms, I will be off to Urgent Care immediately, as being infected with COVID 19 could be fatal to me.
In this state everyone is required to wear a mask in public, and we employees must wear one while in building. However, no masks are on in the break room and there is no social distancing there, or in restrooms. I know of at least 3 employees who have been off of work for 2 weeks with COVID 19.
Does anyone know if they can force one to do this temperature thing? I have issues with this entire scenario and prefer to take care of this at home.