In Germany, 60 Percent of Employees Are Getting Tested at Work
Some 60 percent of non-remote employees in Germany are getting tested for the coronavirus in the workplace, according to the ifo Business Survey for May. “With around 70 percent of employees back at work on-site, testing there is an important way to combat the pandemic,” says Oliver Falck, Director of the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies. “This covers contacts not only in the workplace, but also on the way there. Especially in areas with a heavier coronavirus caseload, employers should encourage their employees to get tested more often at work.”
The highest rate of testing at work is among employees of service providers, at 61.9 percent, followed by wholesale at 61.3 percent. In manufacturing, the figure is 59.3 percent; in retail, 55.5 percent. Testing at work is least prevalent in the construction industry, where the figure is 52.7 percent.
Companies were recently required to offer on-site testing to their employees, and 93.0 percent of companies are now doing so. In 4.6 percent of companies, employees are still working from home, while 2.3 percent of companies have not yet been able to implement on-site testing. In manufacturing, a full 98.9 percent of companies offer tests in the workplace, in construction 95.9 percent, in wholesale 95.2 percent, and in retail 93.1 percent. Among service providers, the figure is 88.8 percent; however, 8.3 percent of employees there are working remotely.
