Many employers like having their employees work in an office, even when it isn’t strictly necessary. It allows them to keep their resources and personnel in one place, and it allows them to oversee and control their employees’ activities more efficiently. With concerns about the coronavirus growing, however, more employers are looking at the benefits of having their employees work from home.
The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is an infectious disease characterized by symptoms similar to the seasonal flu, such as a fever, dry cough and breathing difficulties. However, the coronavirus is significantly more dangerous than the flu, with a fatality rate many times higher. The coronavirus can be spread through the air by coughing, as well as through exposure to the bodily fluids of infected people or touching any surface contaminated by the virus. Worse still, the disease can take up to two weeks before someone infected shows symptoms, during which time the infected person can still spread the disease.
While many employers prefer to keep their employees in the office, the danger of the coronavirus has led some employers to reevaluate their policies. While working from home isn’t necessarily ideal from their perspective, the loss of control and oversight over employees is a decent tradeoff for limiting the spread of the disease. With the coronavirus largely uncontained in the United States, social isolation is key to avoiding spreading the infection, and employers who allow their employees to work from home (where possible) can contribute to maintaining public health.
If you have gotten into a legal dispute with your employer, it is important that you seek the guidance of an experienced New York employment lawyer who can protect your legal rights and advocate on your behalf. Steven Mitchell Sack, the Employee’s Lawyer, is a New York employment lawyer with more than 39 years’ experience handling the many aspects of employment law. To schedule an appointment with New York City employment lawyer Steven Mitchell Sack, call (917) 371-8000.
