What should you do if you have omicron variant symptoms and need to go to work? Well, for many Americans, heading to work is the answer.
What’s happening: Millions of Americans are still heading into the office for work even if they’re sick with COVID-19 since they can’t survive without their paychecks, according to CNN.
- “Some workers are struggling to get or afford testing to confirm they have been infected. Many don’t have paid sick leave and need to keep up with their bills,” CNN reports. “And others fear they will face repercussions from their bosses if they call out sick or feel added pressure to work because of severe staffing shortages.”
Why this matters: The United States does not have a national paid sick leave law, meaning that millions of Americans can’t take off.
- At the same time, this means people still head to work even when sick and infect more people with the highly transmissible omicron variant.
What you should do: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a pretty simple tip for you — “Employees who have symptoms should notify their supervisor and stay home.”
- Moreover, the CDC say people with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and for all close contacts of persons with COVID-19 should get tested.
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Similarly, legal experts believe employees should avoid the workplace, too.
- “Employees who test positive for COVID-19 should be removed from the workplace immediately,” said Arielle Eisenberg, an attorney with Cozen O’Connor in Miami.