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Should a potential employer tell a candidate if he/she has had COVID-19?
I just had a phone interview that went fantastic. The employer asked if I would be willing to commute into his very small office (his words, not mine) in downtown NYC and work with him in person.
I thanked him but mentioned that as much as I love NYC, I don't feel safe there with the recent surge in cases. I asked if he would be willing to consider letting me work remotely at least through the winter and we could reassess the situation in the Spring.
AFTER I expressed concern over the virus, he *then* said that he understood my concern because he and his entire family had the virus over the summer, but that he had since resumed business as usual anyway and was looking for someone who would help.
I was floored. If I had agreed to take the position at the outset, he likely would never had told me he had the virus. Why would I want to work for someone who has no problem putting me at risk like that, just because he wants to make more money? How productive can I be if I end up in a hospital? Shouldn't potential employers be human enough to inform candidates of possible risks?
YIKES.
9 Comments
Nina Tung
25
11/13/20 at 6PM UTC
If someone had COVID in the past, it doesn't make him more contagious if that's your concern. More likely he developed immunity to COVID which means less likely you will get the virus from working with him.
2
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Lydia PoonSearch engine marketer and builder of teams
21
11/13/20 at 6:29PM UTC
Yeah, if this was months in the past I don't see why he would divulge that right away. It's true that in some cases the virus lingers for a long time, and some people do test positive months later, but I don't think the presumption is that it always does.
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Liz G-OHead of Global Employer Brand & Marketing
69
11/17/20 at 9:45PM UTC
I agree that his health status in the past is no indication of his risk to you. However, what I would ask is what he is doing *at the office* to keep his employees safe. Specifically, what is the status of the HVAC system? Has it been upgraded by the landlord to purify the air within CDC standards? Will everyone be required to wear masks if the pandemic is still raging? Etc. This will not be the first time you encounter this. Good luck!
1
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Anonymous
11/17/20 at 10:58PM UTC
Based on our current climate, it's become as common as discussing the weather (good and bad). It's not something to be shamed --as the 11million in the US who have/had it will tell you. I like the openness and candor~imagine working for someone who's mindset on this was in the complete opposite direction. It would cause all kinds of trust issues in the future.
1
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Patricia AyusoSoftware Developer, Agilist, and Data lover
24
11/18/20 at 1:51AM UTC
Understandably, you have concerns about your safety right now. Sincerely, I don't think that the fact that this person had COVID-19 means that he/she doesn't take the illness seriously and isn't taking the necessary measures to maintain a healthy work environment.
On the other hand, an illness is a personal matter I don't think is something that someone has to say in an interview.
If you have concerns about your health in that work environment, my advice is to ask for remote work or go and check the office and the actions they're taking to keep it safe.
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Corrine Taylor-ChinWriter, with background in website management
101
11/18/20 at 2:27AM UTC
I don't think that past illness of any sort needs to be discussed. There's no evidence of catching Covid19 month(s) after someone had it. Now, if it's a current sickness (cold, flu, covid19) during this time, I would also be cautionary and concerned.
However, we all have our different levels of comfort. If knowing any colleague had Covid19 at some point makes you adverse to taking a position, you should take it upon yourself to ask about that. I'm not saying it wouldn't be awkward or possibly turn off an employer...but if it's a deal breaker, then bring up the matter prior to accepting a job offer.
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Pippa
48
11/18/20 at 3:15AM UTC
Medical history is, by-law, a confidential matter. A potential employer cannot ask you about yours (unless it will impact your ability to do the job or indicate a need for accommodation), and you should have no expectation that they will discuss theirs.
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Elizabeth Marie Scientist and M.B.A. Candidate
188
11/20/20 at 10:42PM UTC
He probably isn’t contagious anymore (and he could even get it again) but I’d be asking him what he plans to do to help keep you safe, especially if you have a customer facing role where you will be interacting with more people than him. I would also explain what your commute situation is like as well. NYC uses a lot more mass transit and that could be a risk too. Bottom line, don’t take the job if you don’t feel safe!
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Anonymous
11/24/20 at 1:42AM UTC
It's doubtful that he is still contagious, not that he couldn't get reinfected. But it is not something that he had to divulge. I would be more concerned with what safety measures he was following now to keep his employees safe from being exposed. If you don't feel like you can work in this environment, you should look for something that does.
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