Worker Safety During a Pandemic: Handling Employees’ Fear of Exposure and Employees with COVID-19

(最后更新于2020年4月6日)

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges for employers.  虽然许多零售机构和其他企业自愿或非自愿地关闭，但许多其他组织允许员工远程工作, others are attempting to remain operating at full or reduced capacity.  那些维护现场运营的人可能会发现，一些员工因为担心COVID-19而拒绝上班.  This is particularly problematic for employers in essential industries, 比如食品杂货和医疗保健.  相反, 允许工人在办公场所工作的雇主必须面对一个或多个雇员可能生病的真正担忧, making them a danger to everyone else who is working with or near them.  Employers should be prepared to deal with both situations should they arise. 

We are all navigating this new world and how it will affect employment practices. The following is a discussion of these issues with the understanding that we are, 在某种程度上, speculating about how governmental agencies may review specific situations.  The best course is to do whatever is necessary to keep employees safe, 这将要求雇主在处理休假和远程工作等问题时倾听员工的担忧，并实行灵活性.

Dealing with an Employee Who Refuses to Come to Work

Virginia, like most states, recognizes “at will” employment.  在这种制度下, 除非合同另有规定, an employer may terminate an employee for any reason or no reason at all, if the termination does not violate some law.  目前, 没有法律禁止大多数雇主在满足某些安全要求的情况下继续运营.  If a government-ordered quarantine were to go into effect, then the issue would be moot.

That does not mean, 然而, that employers may do whatever they want if there is no quarantine.  All employers are subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which states that an employee may refuse to work if he or she believes they are in “imminent danger.该法将"迫在眉睫的危险"定义为"任何就业场所的条件或做法，其存在的危险可以合理地预期会立即造成死亡或严重的人身伤害，或在通过本法另有规定的执行程序消除这种迫在眉睫的危险之前.”  The Occupational Safety and Health 政府 (“OSHA”), 该法案由谁执行, 已将其解释为"必须存在死亡或严重身体伤害的威胁"或"合理预期存在有毒物质或其他健康危害，并且接触这些物质将缩短寿命或导致身体或精神效率大幅降低".”  An example of imminent harm might be working in a medical environment without protective equipment.

一般的工作场所, 然而, does not meet the “imminent danger” standard without special circumstances.  在最近发布的指导意见中, OSHA rated most workplaces as lower risk (caution) or medium risk regarding COVID-19.  后一类包括在该疾病持续存在社区传播的地区与公众一起工作的雇员.  在与疫情期间不工作的员工打交道时，雇主仍应谨慎行事.  Certain individuals with chronic health conditions, 比如心脏病, 糖尿病, 或者哮喘, are more susceptible to the virus and are more likely to have serious health issues if they do fall ill.  可以想象, 这些人, and employees working in higher-risk occupations, could make a claim that forcing them to work violates OSHA mandates.  雇主应该花时间倾听员工的具体担忧，并尝试与高风险员工合作，以尽量减少接触.  Where possible, employers should consider allowing employees to work remotely.  如果这是不可行的, 雇主应尽其所能，遵循疾病预防控制中心制定的健康指南，使工作场所尽可能安全.

雇主也应该了解最近颁布的《现金网官网》(FFCRA)中的规定。.  立法的一部分, 紧急带薪病假法案, 要求雇主为因政府强制隔离而无法工作或远程工作的员工提供长达两周的带薪病假，或者“由于与COVID-19有关的担忧，医疗保健提供者建议员工自我隔离”.如果发生这种情况, 雇主可以要求雇员提供医疗保健提供者的姓名和联系方式, the reason why they are being advised to self-quarantine, 以及预计休假的日期.

If an employee is refusing to come to work because of fear of the virus, 然后，雇主必须评估情况，以确定员工是否有合理的理由担心迫在眉睫的危险，或者他们是否已被卫生保健提供者指示进行自我隔离.  如果不是, and the employee is not taking time off for a FMLA or FFCRA-qualifying reason, 那么就没有带薪休假的权利.  雇主可以提供无薪休假, require the employee to take available vacation leave, or, 在某些情况下, discipline the employee if he or she refuses to return to work.  然而, the employer should speak with legal counsel before taking any action, particularly if the employee is in a high-risk group.

无论如何, employers should be careful to treat any COVID-19 related health matters as confidential, just as they would any medical information covered by HIPAA and the ADA.  他们还应该意识到，《现金网官网》禁止雇主对任何对安全或健康状况提出担忧的工人进行报复.

Dealing with an Employee Who May Have COVID-19 in the Workplace

在硬币的另一面, employers should be cautious when dealing with employees who may have COVID-19.  职业安全与健康管理局要求雇主为其雇员提供“工作和工作场所，使其免于对雇员造成或可能造成死亡或严重身体伤害的公认危险”.”  An employee displaying the symptoms of COVID-19 could certainly be viewed as a “recognized hazard,” although it should be noted that COVID-19 shares the same symptoms as other common illnesses.

平等就业机会委员会(“EEOC”)发布了关于COVID-19如何影响《现金网官网》(“ADA”)下的就业行动的新指南。.  平等就业机会委员会澄清说，如果员工感染了COVID-19或出现疾病症状，雇主可以要求他们离开工作场所. 一般, employers are prohibited by the ADA from taking an employee’s temperature, but the EEOC has confirmed that during a publicly declared pandemic emergency, 例如COVID-19, 根据《现金网官网》，只要雇主将结果视为机密，雇主就可以要求雇员测量体温.  If an employer decides to take its employees’ temperature, 这只能作为COVID-19综合应对计划的一部分，该计划包括教育员工有关COVID-19症状和筛选面谈以确定其他风险因素等, 非必要旅行的限制, 鼓励在家工作. If a landlord or other entity seeks information about employees with COVID-19, 在发布有关COVID-19检测呈阳性员工的任何信息时，雇主应听从公共卫生部门的意见.

职业安全与健康管理局和疾病控制与预防中心发布了一份联合指南，向雇主解释了如何维护安全的工作环境.  其中一项建议是，出现COVID-19症状的员工应立即与其他员工隔离在一个封闭的房间里，直到他们可以离开工作场所.  指导意见还建议，雇主强烈鼓励生病的员工呆在家里.  任何感染COVID-19的员工以及与该员工密切合作的员工都应被送回家中至少14天.

The governmental response to COVID-19 changes daily.  面对可能影响其员工的covid -19相关事项的雇主，在做出可能产生法律后果的任何决定之前，应寻求律师的建议.

杰夫•威尔逊 是一个现金网官网 & 现金网官网 attorney focusing his practice on employment law matters, including counseling and business litigation.