Social Distancing of Adults in the Community & Workplace - FAQs:
- May employers treat essential/critical employees different than other employees such as providing transportation to and from work or giving them antivirals when there is a limited supply?
- If an employer lays off employees, will the employees be eligible for unemployment insurance? Will the employer’s unemployment taxes go up?
- Could employers be held liable if employees are injured while teleworking?
- What kinds of information should be conveyed to employees to prepare them for the issues that are likely to be of concern to them should a pandemic occur? What is the best way to communicate this information?
- What changes should be made, if any, to employee travel and what should be done to ensure employees living abroad are prepared?
- Should employers encourage employees to obtain seasonal flu vaccines and offer them in the workplace?
- Are employers required to provide employees with infection control supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent or slow the transmission of influenza?
- Can employers close their place of business to employees or customers known to have contracted or to have been exposed to pandemic influenza?
- Do OSHA’s regulations and standards apply to the home office? Are there any other Federal laws employers need to worry about if employees work from home?
- During an flu pandemic, can a healthy employee refuse to come to work, travel, or perform other job duties because of a belief that by doing so, he or she would be at an increased risk of catching the flu?
