MassCOSH Addresses Omicron

On January 25, MassCOSH held an important town hall to help workers best understand the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Massachusetts sick leave law, and what they can do to keep themselves safe on the job as COVID-19 cases surged. The event’s recordings, presentations, and other information has been compiled into a Google Drive here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k1RQvWw0nyLCg1C36MuWg8T4fd_-fNe3

Jazmin Morinigo, MassCOSH’s Labor–Community Training Coordinator detailed health and safety guidelines for workers, especially those who must interact with the public. The presentation was based on new fact sheets produced by MassCOSH about new CDC guidance and workers’ rights. MassCOSH also detailed what workers can do if they feel their employer is not following CDC workplace guidelines or a safe workplace. Alison Guarino of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health provided critical information on the COVID-19 vaccine, its safety and efficacy, and how and where to get it in Massachusetts. David McKenna of Greater Boston Legal Services gave an overview of paid time available to employees who need to quarantine or recover from COVID-19 and especially how to access paid time off through the COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Program. Karl Lindberg from OSHA provided detailed information on how workers can submit a complaint to OSHA to report unsafe conditions.

If you believe your employer is not following CDC COVID-19 guidance and/or your workplace is unsafe, please reach out to Jazmin Morinigo at jazmin@masscosh.org or Brenda Quintana at brenda.q@masscosh.org for support.