The latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has barely been contained, yet employers are now being hit with employee inquiries related to monkeypox. As this virus spreads, states and localities are declaring emergencies while employers are struggling to determine how to respond to this new challenge, including what steps they should take to protect their employees in the face of potential outbreaks.
The good news is that, unlike COVID-19, the monkeypox virus is not as transmissible in the workplace, medical experts are more familiar with the virus's transmissibility and symptoms (because it is not a “novel” virus) and vaccines for monkeypox already exist. Employers should note, however, that the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires them to maintain a safe workplace for all employees and in all places of employment, and that individuals infected with monkeypox may require a longer recovery period as compared to COVID-19 and other common viruses. Employers should consider providing time off for employees to get tested, leaves of absence for recovery, adding extra cleaning protocols, encouraging the use of personal protective equipment like gloves for common areas and educating their workforce on transmissibility of monkeypox.
What Exactly is Monkeypox?
The monkeypox virus is related to the virus that causes smallpox, but is much milder and rarely fatal. While the survival rate of monkeypox is 99%, anyone with a weakened immune system, children under the age...
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