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How to Help Your Community During The COVID-19 Crisis

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How to Help Your Community During The COVID-19 Crisis

 

The people of Alabama are committed to helping the vulnerable segments of the population during the Covid-19 pandemic. How to help your community during the COVID-19 crisis. Many individuals and groups in the state are also coming together to support healthcare workers as well as struggling local businesses in a variety of ways. If you are in a position to help, Alabama offers numerous opportunities to extend your support and put your money or energy to direct use.

Medical Volunteers

Alabama ReadyOp is looking for part-time or recently retired healthcare professionals as well as medical students as volunteers. The organization also needs medical providers whose offices are currently closed due to coronavirus and are able to offer assistance. Volunteers will receive alerts based on the severity level through multiple communication channels. To sign up to receive these alerts as a volunteers, visit Alabama ReadyOp.

Donate Face Masks and PPE

The ADPH (Alabama Department of Public Health) is seeking donation of face masks, which can distribute to home healthcare patients across Alabama. For details, you may call ADPH at 334-206-5696 or send an email to: Choona.Lang@adph.state.al.us.

The Medical Association of the State of Alabama is assisting member doctors and other medical professionals during the pandemic in several ways. It recently held a statewide PPE donation drive at multiple locations around Alabama. Whether you are an individual or a business based in the state, you can donate any extra PPE to help doctors on the front lines to prevent the spreading of the virus. Check here for more information.

Donate Blood and Plasma

Blood donations have declined in the present situation. Eligible, healthy donors may donate blood to ensure that lifesaving blood is available to those who need it the most. To know where you can donate blood, visit the Red Cross website or check with the LifeSouth Community Blood Centers.

Plasma is used in several unique medicines and life-saving therapies, and the supply is dependent on plasma donations from eligible volunteers. Plasma donor centers are ensuring donor safety in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and following all sanitizing guidelines and social distancing practices. You can locate a plasma donation center near you by using this online locator tool.

Volunteer for the Elderly

The Aging Network needs more volunteers because of the suspension of its group services in the current Covid-19 situation, and an increased need for in-home one-on-one services. You don’t need to have previous experience in order to volunteer. For details, you may contact your local area agency on aging at 1-800-AGELINE (1-800-243-5463).

Donate for the Homeless

Friendship Mission, Inc. is offering emergency shelters for adults as well as for women with dependent children in two locations in Montgomery. It is also operating a public soup kitchen (located at the men’s shelter) for those who are not using the shelter but need a free meal.

The organization has put all volunteer activities on hold at present but is accepting monetary donations as well as donations in the form of carry-out containers for meals to go, foil sheets, and disinfecting/sanitizing supplies. Click on this link for more information. 

How to Help Your Community During The COVID-19 Crisis

Support Food Banks in Alabama

During this period national emergency, the need for food pantries and food banks is on the rise. More people need food access because of lost jobs or reduced paychecks, and children no longer have access to regular school meals because the schools are shut. Many people in Alabama who never needed these services before are now finding themselves in need of food assistance. You can extend your support through donations or a volunteer at your local food bank.

Central Alabama Community Food Bank

To maintain the safety of the staff and volunteers in the present situation, the Community Food Bank in Central Alabama as canceled volunteer sessions for now, but you can check here for opportunities to donate or other ways to help with their Mobile Pantry distributions.

Feeding the Gulf Coast

The organization is seeking volunteers for three key tasks at this time: (a) Food Sorting – volunteers will check donated items for ingredient labels and expiration dates, and then place them in appropriate food categories; (b) Senior Boxes – volunteers will pack food boxes for monthly distribution to seniors; and (c) Backpack – volunteers will pack backpacks with food for children to have over the weekend. For more information, you can call at 251-653-1617.

East Alabama Food Bank

The organization is seeking volunteers for packing boxes and repacking bulk foods in the warehouse for its various programs. In addition, volunteers are needed for product sorting, stocking of shelves, and for office tasks. They are also accepting monetary as well as food donations. For more details, you can visit their website.

Legal Help is Here for You

When your rights are violated at the workplace, you may feel that the odds are stacked against you as an employee. Attorney Kira Fonteneau committed to leveling the playing field for all working people in Alabama. Kira and her dedicated legal team will work hard to make sure your voice is heard, and your rights are fully protected. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 205-564-9005 today.    

Coronavirus Discrimination Concerns in The Workplace

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Coronavirus Discrimination Concerns in The Workplace

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has not only disrupted businesses, caused millions of job losses, and forced many employees to work from home, but it has also created unique workplace concerns related to employee discrimination. Coronavirus discrimination concerns in the workplace. Many employees are wondering whether their employer is discriminating by asking them to take a reduced pay or laying them off.

Other concerns may relate to their changed work responsibilities and job profile if the employees are now working from home. Some workers may even want to know whether their employer has the right to take their temperature before they step into the workplace or send them back home if any apparent signs of fever or respiratory illness are present.

Guidance for Workers

Whether in normal times or in the present situation of the coronavirus pandemic, your employer usually has the right to send you back home if you present any obvious signs of sickness (not just Covid-19). But in the present situation, your supervisors must exercise restraint and show compassion while following all the necessary CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus.

If your employer overreacts on finding that you have symptoms of illness, acts in a way that makes you feel humiliated, or singles you out for taking temperature or other preventative steps, they could be committing discriminatory behavior against you.

Employment decisions as well as workplace safety policies and practices must be uniform for all workers, and your employer cannot rely on some generalities to presume that you are at a higher risk of infection than other employees.

The Law Protects Your Rights

Under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), certain restrictions have been imposed on employers regarding what questions they can ask with regard to your medical status as an employee. Secondly, under the ADA provisions, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) considers taking a worker’s body temperature to be a “medical exam”.

Your employer is prohibited from requiring you to take a medical exam or asking disability-related questions unless:

  1. The employer can show that the medical exam or inquiry is job-related and consistent with the needs of the business
  2. The employer has a valid reason to believe that the worker poses a “direct threat” to the safety or health of himself or others, which cannot otherwise be reduced or eliminated by reasonable accommodation

Your employer should apply discretion and analyze each case on its individual merit and make a non-discriminatory decision based on the available information. Even during the national emergency situation of Covid-19, your employer is still subject to all state and federal laws related to workplace discrimination and retaliation against workers.

Your employer may be in violation of these laws, if you believe that they are apply these rules and regulations differently to different classes of workers based on your national origin, race, or other protected classes.

In these situations, it is best to have an experienced workers’ rights lawyer by your side in Alabama. They can provide you the right legal advice and make sure that your rights are fully protected in the current challenging circumstances of coronavirus.

Discrimination against Ethnic Workers during Covid-19

The history of epidemics shows that there could be unwarranted attacks against people belonging to a certain nationality or ethnic origin. This has already happened in recent years in the case of Ebola and Swine Flu (H1N1) pandemics.

If you are an ethnic worker, you need to be vigilant in protecting yourself against any potential workplace harassment, discrimination or retaliation stemming from your employer, supervisor or co-workers. Workers of Asian descent (especially of Chinese origin) are at a particularly high risk to be made scapegoats as if they are individually responsible for causing Covid-19.

Coronavirus Discrimination Concerns in The Workplace

There are already calls on social media and elsewhere for boycotting everything Chinese, and discriminatory behavior could also occur at your workplace in Alabama. Your employer has a legal obligation to take the necessary steps to prevent such discriminatory actions at your workplace and take your complaints in this regard with utmost seriousness.

The CDC has already urged people to not show prejudice against individuals of Asian descent in the current fearful environment caused by the novel coronavirus. The CDC says that no one should presume that if someone is of Asian descent, they have a higher likelihood of being a carrier of Covid-19.

Recommendation for Employers

Employers in the current environment should focus on two things to avoid discriminatory actions against their workers: (a) Make sure that you are treating all your workers in the same manner during Covid-19, irrespective of their nationality or ethnic origin; and (b) Make sure that your employees are not indulging in direct or indirect harassment or discrimination against co-workers of Asian descent.

Employers need to make sure that they do not base a decision to remove or bar an employee from the workplace on their ethnicity or nationality. If as an employee, if you find that your employer only quarantining workers of Asian descent or knowingly ignoring hostile workplace conditions against ethnic employees, you should consult with a seasoned workers’ rights attorney in Alabama.

Speak to a Dedicated Workplace Discrimination Lawyer in Alabama

Attorney Kira Fonteneau has successfully represented countless workers in state and federal courts across Alabama. Kira is committed to helping you in your fight against the potential illegal actions of your employer or government misconduct. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 205-564-9005 today.    

Important COVID-19 Work-from-Home Legal Issues

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Important COVID-19 Work-from-Home Legal Issues

 

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a situation where a large number of employers are encouraging employees to work from the safety of their homes, provided the nature of the job allows for working remotely. Important COVID-19 Work-from-Home legal issues.

Since this is a completely new work arrangement for many, and it is critical to understand the legal aspects that must be considered while going ahead with this system for as long as the situation demands.

Work-from-Home Policies must Not be Non-Discriminatory

When implementing flexible work hours or work-from-home policies in view of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s paramount to ensure that the policies are administered in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. If some workers are not given an opportunity to operate remotely, the employer should have legitimate and non-discriminatory reasons to justify that decision.

When implementing new workplace rules or work-from-home policies specifically because of the unique risks posed by the prevailing coronavirus situation, employers should communicate clearly to the employees that telework is required because of the extraordinary conditions that have arisen due to the current public safety and health circumstances.

Make Prudent Choices while Monitoring Employee Communications and Work Performance

In the changed circumstances where the employee is working from home but the employer wants to evaluate their work performance and productivity, they may need to monitor their communication. When doing so, they should ensure that their methods are in sync with the organization’s established policies and federal laws.

An employer can usually monitor the work email communication of its employees as long as they have a clear business purpose for doing so. At the same time, the employees should be aware of the monitoring, and should not expect privacy when they are using the official email system for communication.

Employers should be sensitive to the situation of new work-from-home employees who may have a dedicated workspace at home as they may struggle to maintain deadlines or performance because of distractions and disruption of their regular work (for instance, a child interrupting the parent during a business phone call).

Non-Exempt Employees Can be Asked to Maintain Timekeeping

To ensure that non-exempt employees are being paid for the correct amount of remote work time, employers will likely require them to accurately maintain the records.

Irrespective of what time of the day or night the employee has put in the work hours while operating from home, it should be included in their paid work time. This also includes the time the employee may spend in responding to work-related emails or phone calls from home.

Important COVID-19 Work-from-Home Legal Issues

 

If the usual time-tracking software programs cannot be practically set up at home, employers should allow the employee to manually record their daily working time on an Excel or Google Docs or similar file (that can be reviewed by the employer). Employers should communicate to their employees clearly about timekeeping policies and explain to them how to track their number of hours worked.

Overtime Rules Apply to Work-from-Home Employees

Employers must make sure that they are paying non-exempt employees for all the hours they have worked from home. This includes overtime just the way it does in regular work-from-office situations. Employers may restrict their employees from working overtime, but they cannot avoid overtime compensation if they have required them to work extra.

Employers should know that meal breaks and rest breaks for non-exempt employees will be applicable even when their employees are working from home. Employees should also record any unpaid meal breaks.

Provide Work-from-Home Resources and Reimburse Expenses

In order for employees to perform effectively from home just as they were doing in office, employers should provide support in terms of basic infrastructure and resources, such as computer, phone, video conferencing equipment or software, and other management or secretarial tools.

Employees may seek reimbursement for the use of phone, internet, and electricity costs that can be attributed to work use. Any repair or upgrading of their personal computer or other equipment, which is being used for work purposes, may also qualify for reimbursement.

Other key legal issues to consider in the current coronavirus pandemic situation for work-from-home employees may include occupational safety and health, disability accommodation, sick pay, and insurance coverage.

Schedule a Consultation with an Experienced Employment Law Attorney

Has the prevailing COVID-19 situation affected your work situation? Are you working from home now, but you are not sure that your employer is following all of the required legal guidelines? If you believe laws have been violated during your transition to working remotely, attorney Kira Fonteneau is here to help. Message us online or call our office today at (205) 564-9005 to schedule a free consultation.