Last week’s guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding mask wearing has caused a lot of confusion for businesses as they decide what rules they should now implement.
There are a number of questions being pondered by businesses. Employment attorney Eric Meyer put together this list of 10 questions being asked by many people in the business community:
- Should we mandate vaccinations now?
- Should we allow fully vaccinated people to go maskless at work?
- Does removing masks violate OSHA? State law? Local law?
- Can we demand proof of vaccination?
- Should we use an honor system?
- How do we enforce work rules that allow some to go maskless?
- Are there confidentiality rules surrounding employee vaccinations?
- What about employees with anxiety (and other mental health issues) about working close to someone without a mask?
- What are other guardrails should we consider (i.e., customer interactions, collective bargaining issues, etc.)
- Should we maintain the status quo?
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said on Friday, 5/14/21, regarding the drop in COVID-19 cases in the state “A big part of the reason is that folks are getting vaccinated, and folks are doing the right thing. And so as far as we can tell and as much as we want to get there — and we will get there, as it relates to indoor masking – it’s only a matter of time. If you’re in a business and a public setting, we’re frankly not there yet.”
That “matter of time” could be just a few weeks, according to the governor.
So, with all these questions, one thing remains clear…businesses must continue to provide a safe workplace for customers and employees or risk liability.
Marzano Human Resources Consulting has been guiding businesses through a myriad of COVID-19 related issues for over a year now. Don’t hesitate to reach out should you want some assistance in dealing with these new CDC guidelines.