CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the ongoing threat of the coronavirus, employers and employees can all agree on one thing— the concerns about workplace safety.
This is especially an issue for those essential employers who are still expected to work despite North Carolina’s statewide stay at home order.
A portion of the Occupational Health and Safety Act already protects these workers requiring that they be in a workplace free of hazards likely to cause death or serious harm.
In the perfect scenario, that would include the coronavirus, but experienced employment attorney Grainger Pierce says there are some limits.
“Just a generalized concern that if I come to work I might get sick even with the climate we have today may not be enough,” Pierce said.
He adds some exceptions might be if an employer knowingly still allows someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to continue to come to work, or if someone has special circumstances putting them at a higher risk to catch the virus.
One Lowe’s employee, who did not want to be identified, shared some concerns of his own claiming there are large crowds of customers in the store at any given time not adhering to the posted signs stating customers should be six feet apart.
He says more safety precautions should be done.
“We just recently got one mask to wear last week so just more awareness of the situation instead of just let's chase the dollar,” he said. “People may be coming out to Lowe’s and infecting other people and then I have to worry am I going to contract it and give it to my family?”
In a statement, Lowe's says they have additional measures like increasing time spent cleaning and sanitizing stores, installing plexiglass shields at cash registers, and encouraging associates to stay home if they are sick, while also offering 14 days paid emergency leave.
More information about employer and employee guidelines during the COVID-19 crisis can be found here.
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