Ava worked tirelessly every day – for a boss who did a terrible job of creating a safe work environment. As a result, she caught COVID-19! Her plan: stay home, social distance, get some rest – and more importantly, sue her employer!
Unfortunately, the judge threw out Ava’s case, even though her boss didn’t enforce mask mandates or make sure there was enough air flow. This isn't a huge surprise though – it's extremely difficult to sue your employer.
The U.S. does a terrible job of protecting workers. Workers Compensation insurance is meant to defend the few rights employees have – but COVID-19 has complicated everything.
Many illnesses or injuries that people sustain at work are protected under Workers Comp, which is meant to pay out injured workers so they DON’T sue.
But when it comes to COVID-19, most claims are getting rejected – so what are workers to do?
Countless workers are still being forced to decide whether to prioritize their safety and quit jobs that refuse to provide enough protection, or be exposed to the virus because they need money to survive.
During this difficult time, we can't even depend on benefits like Worker’s Comp to protect us. Situations like these keep showing us that in the United States, workers aren’t human beings with safety needs – we’re just dollar signs.