Can Workplaces Enforce Temperature Checks?

There is growing debate on what employers can or cannot do to manage safety at work during the COVID pandemic.

Sometimes this gets complicated because the disease is new and the way it spreads and the best way to manage it is still not fully understood. Hence increasing the difficulty and complexity in choosing the correct approach to manage it in the workplace.

One of such case is the right of mandating temperature checks on entry to workplaces.

Can my Boss Require us to Undergo Temperature Checks?

The short answer to this question is almost certainly “yes”, if implemented correctly.

It would be widely regarded as a “reasonable” precaution, particularly during current pandemic, to ensure no person with a high temperature (e.g. fever) enters the workplace.

High Temperature may or may not Indicate COVID-19.

A person with COVID-19 may or may not have a high temperature, but in any event a person with a high temperature is unwell and should not be at work e.g. they could be a risk to themselves or spreading cold or flu to co-workers.

Some businesses have been enforcing temperature checks long before COVID-19 eg entry to pharmaceutical facilities where even cold or flu symptoms are unacceptable.

Employers have a legal obligation to protect the health and safety of their workers and others in workplaces, and workers have a duty to follow reasonable instructions from their employer eg where necessary to ensure a safe and healthy workplace.

A precautionary protocol like temperature checks on entry is not invasive, time consuming, or threaten privacy, so would almost certainly be deemed reasonable. There is also clear evidence of this action being beneficial in helping reduce the risk of unwell people infect others, whether with minor or more serious health concerns.

It is still important to consult your workers prior to the implementation of any new safety controls in the workplace, including temperature checks, and to provide information and instructions for those affected by the implementation of the new controls.

For more information on this topic or a quote for a COVID-19 review give us a call on 03 8544 4300 or email.