Lifting of pandemic measures: What now applies at work?

Masks are no longer compulsory in public transport, and the obligation to isolate infected persons has also been lifted. This also means changes for everyday working life, if they have not already "crept in". Even though the pandemic measures have now been lifted: Neither employers nor employees have a free pass when it comes to health. Under the Labor Code, employers are required to take the necessary precautions to protect their employees. Cantonal regulations for the protection of the population also remain reserved if the pandemic situation should worsen again.

But the following questions might arise these days:

Is it okay to go to work if you suffer from mild corona symptoms?
Yes, the isolation requirement has been lifted. So anyone who is 100 percent fit for work can go to work as normal. However, anyone who does not work in a home office anyway should wear a mask at the workplace and pay attention to hygiene. In case of fever or severe illness, however, it is better to stay at home and call in sick.

May an employer request a doctor's note?
Yes, because now only the difference between "fit for work" and "not fit for work" applies again, so an incapacity for work must be certified by a doctor, as was the case before the pandemic measures came into force. In the case of a slight pnüsel or a scratchy throat, one is usually fully capable of work and must appear at the workplace. However, employers should exercise good judgment. In the canton of Berne, for example, the social partners recommend that a doctor's certificate should only be requested from the fifth day of absence due to illness if the PCR test is positive.

If you're infected, can you insist on a home office or a single office?
There is no such entitlement. As a rule, the employer decides on the allocation of jobs. Exceptions may be made, for example, for vulnerable persons (in the sense of the employer's duty of care).

Can an employer send employees for testing?
In individual cases, this may be permissible. As Dr. Nicole Vögeli Galli, attorney at law and lecturer in labor law at the ZHAW explained to Swiss televisionIt can be important for an employer to know whether an infection is present if there is contact with vulnerable persons in the work environment. Moreover, this applies not only to Corona, but also to all infections that could endanger third parties, says Vögeli Galli.

Must a positive test result be reported to the employer?
No. According to Nicole Vögeli Galli, at most when you have to deal with vulnerable people in your work.

Can an employer require a Covid certificate or mandate a mask requirement?
This is possible within the framework of health protection in environments with an increased degree of risk, for example in hospitals, nursing homes, or even in schools. However, the consent of the staff must be obtained. Since the main responsibility for measures to protect the population now lies with the cantons again, it may be that the certificate and mask obligation can be regulated differently in the cantons accordingly.