Workplace Responsibilities
Any person conducting a business has a responsibility to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers in their workplace. This likely includes minimising, if not wholly eliminating, the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Consequently, workplaces are expected to continue with physical distancing, mask wearing, good hygiene, regular cleaning and maintenance, and encouraging vaccination.
Employers should keep up to date with cleaning requirements for the various workplaces (SA Health).
Workers have responsibilities to take reasonable care for their own safety too. Workers should ensure their acts or omissions don’t adversely affect the health and safety of others. Workers must also comply with reasonable instructions and co-operate any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health or safety at the workplace.
Employers are encouraged to read the SafeWork Australia guides and understand how to best provide a safe working environment. Read the SafeWork guides here to check if your workplace is complying with the recommendations.
What Happens if my Workplace is Deemed an Exposure Site?
If your workplace is exposed to COVID-19, the following guidelines for assessing and managing risk have been implemented by SA Health:
- General Businesses and Venues: hospitality, community sport, places of worship, retail services, entertainment facilities, higher level education, beauty and other services, information and educational facilities, major recreation facilities.
- Critical services and infrastructure: defence, essential infrastructure work (i.e. energy services, water services, food manufacturing), emergency services, veterinary services, and agriculture.
- Primary and community health care settings: medical settings, paramedics, pharmacies, pathology services, non-residential disability care.
What Financial Support Exists if I am Directed to Quarantine or Isolate?
The South Australian Government has outlined a pandemic leave support payment and cluster isolation payment for individuals. More information can be found here.
Alternatively, sick/personal leave, annual leave, income protection (where a policy allows), or other applicable insurance may be available to you. If you are unsure of your entitlements, you should speak to a lawyer.
Can I Claim Workers Compensation if I Catch COVID-19 at work?
If you catch COVID-19 and believe you caught it from work, then you can make a workers compensation claim, this is even if your employer took all reasonable steps to minimise the risk. Whether you succeed will depend on your unique circumstances. You will have to prove on balance that the infection came from the workplace, rather than another source such as exposure in the community outside of work. It is highly recommended that you speak to a lawyer if you think you caught COVID-19 at work.
Boylan Lawyers puts the rights of South Australian workers first. If you want more information about your rights as a worker, contact our team of employment and workers compensation experts on (08) 8632 2777.
Boylan Lawyers, specialising in employment and workers compensation law.
