On January 29, 2021, in response to President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.
The stated intent of the new guidance is to inform “employers and workers in most workplace settings (outside of healthcare) to help them identify risks of being exposed to and/or contracting COVID-19 at work and to help them determine appropriate control measures to implement.” OSHA’s guidance is offered for “planning purposes” and does not create any new legal obligations or regulatory mandates for employers.
We encourage employers to read the 11 pages of practical guidance issued by OSHA. The guidance identifies numerous helpful best practice recommendations for employers when implementing a workplace COVID-19 prevention program to mitigate the spread of the virus. In addition, OSHA offers guidance on: implementing physical distancing in all communal work areas; improving ventilation; and cleaning and disinfecting the workplace.
Our team of labor and employment law attorneys is working closely with employers to draft COVID-19 health screening, containment, and travel/quarantine policies that are tailored to the employer’s practices, and ensure compliance with applicable federal and state employment laws.
PartnerMichael Shadiack is the Chair of Connell Foley LLP’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Representing a broad spectrum of employers and management personnel in the private and public sectors, he provides litigation defense and ...