Employment Litigation and Counseling partner Christopher Hitchins spoke with Sky News regarding an incident in London where two Victoria Station employees were assaulted by a man who allegedly had COVID-19. Both employees later contracted the illness, with one passing away as a result, raising questions on whether or not the employer had done enough to protect them. When asked if the employees were right to raise concerns with their employer, Chris encouraged open communication. He stated, “For any employee, if they have concerns about coming into work they should speak to the employers and ask to see a summary of what measures they have taken to provide a safe working environment. The government is setting out guidelines on the types of measures they might want companies to take, for example hand sanitizers, masks, maybe in the work place — wearing gloves, not having shared office space — so if you are concerned about it in any way — speak to your employer — find out what action they have taken and whether you are comfortable with it.” (“Coronavirus: Ticket collector dies with COVID-19 after man claiming to have virus spat on her,” May 12, 2020)
Chris and the London Employment team have summarized the recent UK Government guidance on ensuring that employers provide a safe place to work, available here.
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