Q. Can we discipline a healthcare employee who is not involved in direct patient care and refuses to come to work because the employee has a generalized fear due to an Ebola patient who is being treated in the hospital?
A. Yes. An employee’s duty to report to work on time and ready to perform his or her job duties is not excused based on a generalized fear of safety solely because an Ebola […]
Q. Does OSHA plan to enforce standards specifically with respect to Ebola?
A. Yes, OSHA is carefully monitoring the Ebola virus, especially with respect to its impact on employees in the healthcare industry, including hospitals, nursing facilities and psychiatric facilities. It has created a centralized website for employers to familiarize themselves with the disease, including its transmission and what can be done to protect employees.
Q. What are my obligations under the OSH Act to protect […]
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave “to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition.” If an employee’s spouse or child has contracted Ebola, FMLA leave is most likely appropriate, even if the spouse or child is in a hospital’s isolation ward and the employee is not needed to care for the sick patient. Federal guidance explains that […]