Draft: German employers to monitor Covid status in workplace

Berlin (dpa) – German employers are to monitor compliance with planned regulations requiring proof of coronavirus status in the workplace on a daily basis, according to draft legislation seen by dpa.

This is to be passed by the three parties in talks to form the next German government in parliament on Thursday.

Under the new rules, employees would no longer be allowed to enter workplaces where “physical contact” with others cannot be ruled out without proof of vaccination, recovery from Covid-19, or a negative rapid test from the same day, or a PCR test no more than 48 hours old.

The ban on entry should not apply in the event of workers taking the test directly at the company.

Currently, companies are still obliged to offer two tests per week. In addition, German citizens are entitled to one free coronavirus test per week at facilities across the country.

So, with five working days, non-vaccinated people would probably have to expect to take two tests per week at their own expense.

All employers are obliged to “monitor compliance on a daily basis and document it on a regular basis,” the draft states. Their cooperation is needed due to the large number of companies and the “limited capacity of the competent supervisory authorities.”

The legislation also sets out plans to reintroduce work-from-home rules.

The regulations are similar to those that were in place until June of this year: Employees with “office work or comparable activities” must be allowed to work from home, unless there are operational reasons for not doing so, such as processing mail or distributing goods or materials.

Employees must accept the offer to work from home unless work is not possible there, for example because it is too cramped or too noisy or because the necessary equipment is lacking.