Are you an essential worker? Whether you work in a grocery store, a food processing plant, manufacturing or any other of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors identified by the United States government, you are going to work to keep our country running even though we are in the middle of a pandemic. Staying safe from COVID–19 is likely at the top of you and your coworkers’ minds.
Workplace safety and COVID-19
As hard as you try to avoid infection at work, there are certain factors out of your control that your employer is responsible for. Your employer has the obligation to provide a safe workplace to employees, and there are no exceptions, even in the middle of a pandemic. In fact, if your employer does not provide you with proper protective safety equipment that is appropriate to your work setting, that may be putting you at risk for contracting COVID-19.
What if I get COVID-19 at work?
You have the right to be safe at work. If your employer has not implemented solutions such as health checks, proper cleaning and disinfecting protocol and proper distancing when possible, they may be found negligent of their responsibility for causing sickness, disability and even death from COVID-19.
Tools are available for businesses
Information is available for business to learn about what they need to do to make their workplaces safe. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has given guidance about proper workplace protection and behavioral precautions on their website.
