Leave for Exposure to Communicable Disease Policy

The purpose of this policy is to protect employees and others from exposure to communicable diseases by allowing employees exposed to a communicable disease to take paid administrative leave.

Anyone who discovers evidence of a communicable disease that could seriously endanger the health of others in the workplace should report such findings to management.  Management shall notify the local health department.

Note: The most recent list of reportable diseases compiled by the State Health Commission is found in the Administrative Code 10A NCAC 41A.101.  This list is constantly updated as new diseases emerge.

The conditions under which administrative leave may be taken are:

• Public Health officials quarantine an employee, or
• Public Health officials and the agency authority concur that the employee should be excluded from work.

If either of the above conditions occurs, the employee may be advised not to report to work for a specified period of time.  In these cases, the agency may allow the employee to take paid administrative leave until the specified period of time ends or the employee becomes ill with the communicable disease, whichever comes first.

• If the employee becomes ill and it is determined to be work related, the Workers' Compensation Policy applies.
• If the employee becomes ill as a result of off-the-job exposure, the Sick Leave policy applies.

It is the employee's responsibility to provide the employer with a written confirmation from a Public Health official of any quarantine period.

If you have questions about this policy, contact the Employee & Management Relations Specialist in the Office of Human Resources assigned to work with your department.