Worker Safety, Privacy Clash as Temperature Checks Become Norm

Employers are poised to collect health data from their workforces daily as they adopt temperature checks and other screening protocols to fight the coronavirus, triggering concerns about workers’ privacy and whether the practices will continue beyond the pandemic.

The way these once-taboo screenings are administered is key for employers to avoid penalties under privacy and disability laws. Major retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart Inc., and Target Corp. already are checking their workers’ temperatures, along with grocery chains, health-care providers, and other businesses.

Problems could arise if companies continue to gather and store worker information that could reveal far-reaching health issues ...