Public Health Emergency Workplace Response System (Renewal)

OMB Memorandum M-20-23, “Aligning Federal Agency Operations with the National Guidelines for Opening Up American Again,” dated April 20, 2020, requires employers to develop and implement policies and procedures for workforce contact tracing following an employee’s COVID-19 positive test. In doing so, M-20-23 requires symptomatic Federal employees and contractors to follow their Agency’s process if they are symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19. EPA’s processes will protect the anonymity and privacy of Federal employees and contractors, to the extent possible, while disclosing only the information necessary for agencies to take appropriate actions of notifying potentially affected employees and cleaning the facility. Additionally, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance entitled Get and Keep America Open, COVID-19 Contact Tracing is essential to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, public health leaders are calling for communities around the country to ramp up capacity and implement a massive contact tracing effort to control spread of the Coronavirus. The response and recovery from the effect of COVID-19 will continue to present Federal agencies with unprecedented challenges, as well as opportunities for improvement, that require new processes and practices such as COVID-19 Contact Tracing to keep the workforce and the public safe. As EPA plans to reconstitute the workforce, it is essential to have an internal EPA Contact Tracing Program that informs mission readiness and protects our workforce.

The latest form for Public Health Emergency Workplace Response System (Renewal) expires 2026-06-30 and can be found here.