Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Standards End, Employers Still Required to Document COVID-19 Cases
Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
February 3, 2025 marked the end of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Standards.
However, while California employers are no longer required to follow any regulatory requirements, COVID-19 reporting and recordkeeping requirements (Title 8 Subsection 3205(j)) remain effect until February 3, 2026. The requirements specify that the employer must:
Keep a record of all employee COVID-19 cases.
These records should include the employee’s name, contact information, occupation, location where the employee worked, the date of the last day at the workplace, and the date of the positive COVID-19 test and/or COVID-19 diagnosis
These records must be kept for two years “beyond the period in which the record is necessary to meet the requirements of this section.”
Provide information on COVID-19 cases to all health and safety governing bodies when requested.
These records must be provided to the local health department that holds jurisdiction over the location of the workplace, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Cal/OSHA, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) immediately upon request and when required by law.
Although employers are no longer required to enforce a specific set of COVID-19 regulatory requirements, California employers must still adhere to state health and safety guidelines. These guidelines include:
Maintaining a “safe and healthful” place of employment for all employees as required by Labor Code section 6400.
Establishing, implementing, and maintaining an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) as required by Title 8, California Code of Regulations, section 3203.
Identifying, evaluating, and correcting any and all unsafe or unhealthy conditions, practices, or procedures associated with COVID-19 if COVID-19 is identified as a workplace hazard.
A COVID Resources Toolkit is available through Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal.
More information can be found on Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Guidance and Resources webpage.