ST. LOUIS — Travis Kearbey, who leads the 40-lawyer employment and labor practice at Armstrong Teasdale, has been counseling business clients on what has become "a very hot topic" as vaccination rates increase: when businesses should fully reopen and welcome back remote workers.
The topic is legally complex because it involves not only employment and labor law but also can involve OSHA compliance, privacy laws, and even landlord-tenant law.
"As the COVID numbers go down, companies are beginning to plan for it," he said.
But businesses don't necessarily have to enter this phase of the pandemic without a guide. "Fortunately, we have a roadmap — those businesses deemed 'essential' that have remained open and have dealt with this," Kearbey said.
Here are some additional details to consider if you're a business owner pondering when to reopen:
- Safety: "Companies have a general duty to maintain workplace safety under the law, and it's also the moral and right thing to do," Kearbey said. "It's important to understand and comply with all government requirements, and there is a patchwork of them across the country — city, county, state and federal. Under the Biden administration, for example, we expect OSHA to take a far more aggressive approach."
- Social distancing: "Revamping your office space to accommodate social distancing also is important," he said. "Arrange your offices so that people, as much is possible, do not encounter one another."
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