The Next Wave: Employer Preparedness (and Liability) for COVID-19 Complaints

This program will address the legal rights and obligations of employers facing COVID-19 complaints about health and safety in the workplace. Since the start of the pandemic, OSHA and similar state agencies have fielded thousands of complaints about COVID related workplace safety issues. Employees – alone and collectively -- have brought lawsuits on numerous statutory and common law theories, and many have gone to the press or to social media to publicize their concerns. Unions, too, have been active in this space, spurring walk outs and other job actions to protest what they see as dangerous working conditions, especially in the health care and essential industry sectors. This program will help employers prepare for and respond to these complaints. Among the topics we will address are: responding to OSHA; state and local agency intervention; whistleblower and retaliation situations; protected, concerted activity; wrongful discharge ; as well as the use of liability waivers and legislation limiting businesses’ liability for COVID related matters.