Health concerns can be really challenging in a work environment. Many people will try to come into work even if they’re sick, so long as they can still walk and talk. But this can put other employees at risk for catching that bug. For employees who may already be vulnerable to illnesses (such as being immunocompromised) this can even be dangerous.
When you have been made aware of an employee’s condition, like chicken pox, it’s advised to inform your employees that they may have been exposed to the disease. It’s not necessary to reveal the name of the employee with the condition to protect their privacy. In some cases, you may only need to inform those who may have come into contact with the infected employee or those you know to be at risk from existing conditions.
You do not have to allow this employee to come to work while infected. However, you can require the employee to provide a doctor’s note when they inform you they are no longer contagious and would like to return to work. Once you have the note, you can decide how best to handle the situation based on what the doctor recommends.
