Kaplan Quoted in the Milwaukee Business Journal About New OSHA COVID Reporting Requirements

Partner Daniel Kaplan was quoted in the Milwaukee Business Journal article, “New OSHA guideline says employers must report workplace-caused Covid-19 cases,” about new requirements for businesses to record Covid-19 cases among employees if the exposure to coronavirus happened in the workplace.

The new directive from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration applies to employers with more than 10 people on their staff. Previously, the guidance applied only to the health care industry, emergency-response organizations and correctional institutions. The federal agency has an obligation to ensure a safe workplace and the employer reporting guidelines will allow the agency to track any workplace hot spots, employment attorneys said.

“We’re in a totally new world and this is just another of the steps you’re going to have to comply with to meet regulatory obligations,” said Kaplan, co-chair of Foley’s labor and employment practice.

Kaplan said employers “not to get freaked out” about the new guidelines. “It is a fairly easy set of questions you can utilize in a good-faith inquiry (of employees),” he said. “I don’t think the burden will be that great.”