Pandemic-related laws are among the prime focus of Maryland lawmakers during the 90-days general assembly session.
The keynote proposal for the laws includes dozen of benefits for the companies and the workers. The proposal emphasizes having the laws requiring businesses to provide protection to workers in the light of a disease outbreak.
Worker’s health and safety remained in the backseat for corporates for several years. Disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 uncovered the failures on the part of businesses and the management in providing necessary equipment to workers to ensure well-being and safety.
During recent times, the demand for safety gears and equipment was sky-high catching employers off-guard in terms of lack of planning and absence of essential protection for workers. This has been confirmed in one of our recent interview reports.
In an interview with experts from a national signage company Front Signs, we’ve revealed that there was a boost in the orders of sneeze guards and social distancing decals for public institutions, companies, and offices with much foot traffic and many employees.
The spur in demand for protective gears during such times indicates apparent negligence and least prioritization to the safety of workers. It is the key reason for workers’ decision to not get to work even after lifting lockdown restrictions for months.
Businesses are facing operational issues as people are not returning back to work. The fear of infection in the absence of the right protective equipment, health insurance, and other reason such as state unemployment benefits could be held accountable.
Having a pandemic law in place for businesses could be a breakthrough to ensure accessibility to essential safety gears to workers. This ultimately could lead to a safe work environment and increased confidence to carry out work properly.
Although 70% of Marylanders have received the first dose of vaccine. People would continue to feel uncomfortable at the workplace due to trust issues. Whether it is about people who refuse to take vaccines or the slow recovery rate of the state from COVID -19 uncovered in a study. It is hence important to have such laws in place during a disease outbreak because another pandemic could be anywhere sooner.
Among the other pandemic-related proposals are incentives for telecommuting companies, voting by email, and a green signal for bars to sell packaged cocktails on the go.
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