Q: there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 at my workplace, and the management team has not notified any staff
My management team has not notified any staff members of the cases of COVID-19, and have hidden the cases to an extent. The employees have found out due to word of mouth from close friends of the effected individuals, and I am working on getting contact with the individuals themselves. Assuming the employees effected have come forward to management, is there a case for us employees for being exposed to a public health emergency?
A: This is not a legal question. Moreover, this is not the place to look for celebrity or attention from the frantic media. If you think there is a health risk where you work then take appropriate precautions.
A: This morning, the President signed into law the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, which provides 2-weeks paid leave to certain employees (not in the health care field) for a number of reasons, including if they have been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19. Being potentially exposed via known cases at work might be sufficient for a health care provider to make such a recommendation. In addition, an employer that willfully ignores federal and state directives and protocol during a public health emergency, including hiding the existence of known cases thereby knowingly exposing employees to COVID-19 could conceivably be held liable under negligence or other legal theories.
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