KIRKLAND, WA – Kirkland based AristaPoint, an employee benefits agency, announced a new program to help Washington State companies resume business. Called “Safe Work Return,” the program is a multi-layered risk-management solution for a safe return to work using non-invasive saliva-based COVID-19 testing, an easy to use Symptom Checker, and an Activity Tracker that educates employees on the risk of their personal activity choices.

“The disruption of the social, economic, and personal norms have been devastating to employers and employees in most industries,” said Pat Chestnut, CEO of AristaPoint. “To resume economic activity within the United States, we need strategies that get employees and businesses safely back to work.”

“Ultimately, all employees have the potential to be infected. To restart operations and avoid infection disruption, it will be essential to have a solution that identifies and manages risk, and provides multiple layers of protection and safeguards to maintain control of workplace safety,” said Chestnut.

Safe Work Return provides a path forward for employers to get employees back to work and keep companies at full operational capacity. Implementation of the Safe Work Return program reassures employees that there is ongoing emphasis on maintaining a safe work environment. It also demonstrates the company’s commitment to public safety and the community.

“Effective testing needs to be non-intrusive to the individual with timely test results,” said Chestnut. The Safe Work Return program utilizes BioIQ’s FDA approved saliva-based COVID-19 testing. The test is easily self-administered by the employee, then the completed test kit is express-shipped to the lab for processing, with test results available in 24 – 48 hours.

“By initially testing all employees, you’re able to establish a baseline of the current COVID-19 status for your entire company. Establishing a baseline can identify the risk of any unknown COVID-19 infection. Baseline testing is less expensive than shutting down your business and performing deep cleaning.”

The Safe Work Return Program includes a web-based daily Symptom Checker. The Symptom Checker is based upon CDC employer guidance to identify anyone that may be “symptomatic” or “developing symptoms” of COVID-19, and prevent their entry into the workplace, reducing the potential for transmission and infection.

The Activity Tracker is the companion tool to the Symptom Checker. The Activity Tracker provides a numeric scoring system of daily activities based upon potential exposure risk. By completing this daily, employees become educated on the exposure risks from their daily job and personal activities. This will help employees adjust the choices they make to reduce the risk of exposure for them, their coworkers, and their family.

“Many people do not have an understanding of the levels of risk associated with their personal and job activities. The Activity Tracker will continue the conversation employers have been having with their employees for the past few years regarding Health & Wellness. The Activity Tracker will become a valuable tool in educating employees about their daily activity decisions in this COVID-19 environment,” said Chestnut.