WHAT?!!! Are employers really asking employees to work even though they’ve tested positive for COVID? The answer is YES!!! According to a dozen complaints filed with Nevada OSHA in December, this is precisely what is happening.
According to the complaints filed with OSHA, employers have been asking employees to return to work when they have been told by health officials to quarantine themselves. The employees are being told that their job is in peril if they do not return to work right away. This is a real concern with the new COVID variant, Omicron, becoming so prevalent. This strain is highly infectious, which means it could spread much faster than other strains we have seen.
Many of the hospitality workers do not have paid sick leave, so being off work costs them dearly. For this reason, some may be willing to come back to work, even if they are sick. This will only increase the spread of the disease as unsuspecting customers frequent these establishments.
There have been many employees that have simply quit their jobs in the hospitality industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total for this industry is over a million in November 2021 alone. This has put a huge strain on employers striving to keep their businesses open. As an enticement, they have raised the Wages for hospitality workers from $16.90 per hour to $19.20 per hour.
Christian was questioned by Nevada Current about his opinions as to whether or not there is any recourse for workers who refuse and if there any protection against retaliation if they complain to authorities. You can read the whole article here.
If you are being pressured to return to work after you have tested positive for Covid, contact our office right away. We can guide you through the choices you need to make to protect your job.
