Employment lawyer on updating Public health of employee COVID-19 cases

A recent outbreak of COVID-19 at a downtown Toronto meditation studio has given rise to questions of employer obligations and employee rights. Are employers obligated to inform employees and the public if staff contract the virus?

Alex Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP spoke with CBC’s Samantha Beattie on the issue and employer responsibilities.

“Once an employer is aware of even one case, it’s obligated to inform all other workers as soon as possible or risk opening itself up to lawsuits,” says Lucifero. A failure to inform employees of a COVID-19 case can result in serious legal consequences.