In an article published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Brett Schneider, Chair of the Labor & Employment Division discusses the vital question employers will face as employees begin to return to their workplaces after weeks under COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
“You have the right to order your employees back to work,” Brett said if an employee asks, “Do I have to come in?” The short answer is yes, with caveats. “If they have accrued leave, they can burn that. Otherwise, if the employee has no special rights and you need them in order to operate, you could take action if they refuse,” he explains.
Additionally, he advised “Keep in mind, for some people this has taken an emotional toll. They’re afraid; they’re grieving. If you have long-standing loyal employees, you should try to handle those situations with compassion and see things from their perspective.”
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