Thu, 07/16/2020
On July 15, Virginia adopted the nation’s first statewide emergency workplace safety standards related to COVID-19. Governor Northam stated: “Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a living, especially during an ongoing global pandemic.” The standards are intended to fill the vast gap in coronavirus workplace safety guidelines left by the complete absence of federal leadership from the Trump Administration.
The standards mandate employers provide workers with personal protective equipment, enforce strict sanitation and social distancing rules, and require face coverings for all customer-facing positions and when social distancing is not possible. Employers are also required to notify workers of possible exposure to infected coworkers within 24 hours, and employees who are known or suspected to be positive for COVID-19 are prohibited from returning to work for either 10 days or until they obtain two consecutive negative virus tests. Employers who fail to comply with the standards will face steep financial penalties.
If you are a Virginia worker and believe your employer has violated these new safety rules, please contact us at info@mselaborlaw.com.
