AUSTIN, Texas — Whether you're a frontline worker or any employee reporting to work during this pandemic, transparency should be a top priority for employers in order to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak in the workplace.
Austin employment attorney Jennifer Ward said, from a financial standpoint, there could be a few different reasons why an employer isn't being very forthcoming about positive cases with the rest of the staff.
"Employers are concerned about shutting down because if they have to shut down, nobody will have a job," Ward said.
Ward said a good resource to utilize is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website to file a complaint or to sift through the COVID-19 guidance for different work environments.
If you confront your employer about testing positive for COVID-19, Ward said you have a right to privacy.
"It's not appropriate for an employer to share the identity of that person," she said.
If you feel someone in your workplace has tested positive for COVID-19 and your employer isn't alerting the rest of the staff, you should first reach out to the employer and document the encounter.
"Start with a conversation to address the issue and then, if needed, you can file a complaint with OSHA or reach out to an attorney," Ward said.
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