The importance of regular COVID workplace testing for employees 

Many UK businesses have already returned to the workplace following the announcement recently that working from home was no longer a requirement, whilst others are busy making plans to get their employees back to the office safely. 

Despite the working from home guidance being lifted, COVID-19 is still an ongoing reality and a risk we must learn to live with. Whilst testing is not legally mandatory for employers, they still have a legal responsibility to make sure employees are protected from any health or safety risks while at work, and this includes preventing transmission of the COVID virus. Implementing a regular testing programme will help to keep business operations running smoothly for your customers and employees. It will also reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, and reduce the risk of the virus spreading widely in the workplace and causing unnecessary downtime.  

Benefits of regular, structured workplace Covid testing  

In the early stages of the pandemic, the severity of some outbreaks led to some workplaces being temporarily closed. By introducing a formal workforce testing programme, it will help prevent this by not only identifying positive cases quickly but asymptomatic positive cases and therefore preventing transmission of the virus across your organisation.  

The lateral flow test kits provided by the government are something that we are all familiar with, but the onus is on the employee to carry out the test, and there is no way of knowing whether they are testing regularly at home or even reporting the results.  

By implementing a more structured workplace testing programme using our lateral flow rapid antigen tests, will provide a quick and effective solution and ensure that employees are tested regularly and reported through the correct channels, including Public Health England.  

Antigen testing with photo verification  

Employers set up a secure online account with us and have test kits delivered to them. Employees then upload a photo of the completed antigen test online which is then sent for three-stage medic-led review. The unique test ID is logged to prevent duplicates being used and the results are sent to the worker and the employer within minutes of being uploaded.   

Employees can take the test from anywhere, at any time, and is quick and easy to administer. This can be in their home or supervised in the office. The speed and accuracy at which the results are reported will help determine whether it is safe for them to return to the workplace.  

ORDER your lateral rapid antigen test kits

PCR testing is also an effective way to test because it requires in-depth lab analysis and the PCR tests that we provide are CE marked with 100% sensitivity and specificity.  Results can take between 12-36 hours of the sample being received by our UK laboratory, and patients receive result notification by text, email or by accessing their secure online account. 

Some employers find it beneficial to combine PCR testing with lateral flow testing for added peace of mind. 

Benefits of regular asymptomatic testing 

One of the major benefits of regular testing is that it identifies cases which would have been undetected otherwise and allows those individuals to self-isolate therefore reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace.   

Consideration for vulnerable employees 

Extra consideration should be given to those people within your organisation who are at higher risk. This includes vulnerable people, the clinically extremely vulnerable and pregnant workers, as well as those living with these conditions.  

Some employees may feel that returning to the workplace will have a negative impact on their mental health and are concerned over safety and protection from catching COVID-19, but a regular testing programme will provide them with greater reassurance.  

All of our COVID test kits are already having far-reaching benefits to many UK businesses including:  

  • Reduced absenteeism. 
  • Poor productivity due to illness. 
  • Service disruptions to your customers. 
  • The risk of the virus spreading through the workplace, and to your customers. 
  • Ability to identify asymptomatic cases quickly. 
  • Rapid and remote verification at any time from any place.  
  • Simple and secure online ordering process. 
  • All test kits include an easy-to-follow how to use guide to interpret the results.

 

Everything Genetic’s lateral flow rapid antigen test comes with a photo verification service which enables remote medic-led verification and certification of lateral flow tests, adding rigour and accuracy to your workplace testing programme. Full integration with the UKHSA platform means that Public Health England reporting responsibilities are automatically managed by the technology.  

If you would like to register your business for this service and implement a regular testing programme to help protect your employees and your business, contact our sales team to discuss your requirements and to arrange an account set up on +44 (0) 1270 623 179 or email: partners@everythinggeneticltd.co.uk.