With the world watching and reacting to the coronavirus pandemic, corporate America is working with its law firms to protect their interests. Yes, everyone's health and safety is paramount, but don't be fooled. Every major law firm in the country has formed a Covid-19 task force, set up to advise their corporate clients. What about you? Your small business likely is already suffering losses and this situation might get worse before it gets better. You should be thinking about steps to protect your business during this crisis. You can be certain that insurance companies and major corporations are already working with their law firms to ready their positions. You should do the same. At a minimum, here are a few steps to take:
1. Review your insurance policies and put your insurance carriers on notice.
2. Review your commercial agreements for rights of indemnification.
3. Take reasonable precautions to ensure safety of your employees and customers
And there's more than that. If your business remains open, you should take reasonable steps to ensure a clean and safe work environment for your employees and customers. You also should understand what you can and cannot do for employees. I'd highly recommend you consult with an attorney to make sure you take the right steps and understand what you can and cannot do.
This applies equally to individuals. What are your rights on the job? Is your job safe? Can your employer fire you if you have to work from home? Does your employer have to allow reasonable accommodations to protect against the virus?
Do you have relatives in a care facility? What obligations do they have to make sure their facilities are sanitized and our vulnerable population is not needlessly exposed? And what about all the shared ride services (what we used to call hitchiking, but now call ride share), who is responsible for ensuring your ride is safe and clean?
If you lost money on an event deposit or travel arrangements, are you out the money, or do you have legal rights to a refund?
The list goes on. These are complicated questions in unprecedented times.
If you are unsure of what to do, or if you need assistance now to protect your business or to protect your individual rights, please get in touch with me. If I can help, I will.
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