Courtesy ARCC (2021)
[Editor's note: this story has had a couple of updates since it was posted. It should be correct at this point. We are sorry for the confusion.]
Businesses throughout the state will have to create plans for how to handle infectious airborne diseases, and the plan must include health screening, free face coverings for employees, and plans for social distancing. Under the HERO act and its Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standards, a four-page list of requirements, employers may not retaliate against an employee who points or reports problems to state officials.
The Health and Essential Rights Act, a law signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in May, has its eye on the next pandemic and how that should be tackled, the law's website says. An email from the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce said that the deadline for creating the plan is Aug. 5, but there is some uncertainty in that date. The state’s website says employers must comply, but does not say by when. [Update: Aug. 5 is confirmed. Readers can see that here.]
The Chamber will hold a lecture with Rose Miller of Pinnacle Human Resources LLC. who will run through what this means for local businesses at 2 p.m. on Tuesday July 27.
Chamber president Michael Bittel was unsure if the law will work as intended.
"I think that the state is trying to do good for all the workers across New York State,” he said in an interview today, as he believes employers want to keep workers safe, anyway.
"There was no business input on this bill," he said, adding that he believes a better law would have come about had the business community been included. "New York State continues to pile on regulations and costs to our already beleaguered businesses."
The state did not respond to late emails seeking comment.
Tuesday, July 27. 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., Virtual via Zoom. Cost: $15 for ARCC members; $20 for nonmembers.