Earlier this year, Public Health Law Watch, in collaboration with members of the George Consortium and other partner organizations, hosted a series of legal briefings related to COVID-19 and legal and policy issues associated with the global pandemic. Experts and scholars joined us for bi-weekly livestreamed discussions on these issues. We invite you to read the summaries of selected episodes below! And, enjoy relistening to the series (linked below and archived on our #COVIDLawBriefing webpage).
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5/26/2020: Vulnerable Workers
Mod: Wendy Parmet
Speakers: Seema Mohapatra, Ruqaiijah Yearby
In this #COVIDLawBriefing Professor Parmet moderates a discussion on vulnerable workers. With COVID-19 deaths being disproportionately felt by communities of color and low income workers the conversation started by looking at the history of who felt the greatest impact in these moments of emergency. Not surprisingly, communities of color have always faced the greatest hardships in these moments; Professor Mohapatra pointed out that in the 1918 flu pandemic Native Americans had a mortality rate 4 times higher than all other ethnic groups. Obviously these do not stem from biological differences, but from social factors. Some of these include likelihood of exposure and the ability to receive treatment.
Employment also becomes a dividing line between those who contract COVID-19 and those who do not. This is because more low wage jobs which cannot be done remotely are done by people of color. Furthermore, skipping work is not an option as many of these people live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to stay home. Many home health workers fall into this category, and live below the poverty line. Many homecare workers have not received any PPE, and additionally, are not covered by the Cares Act. This leaves our most vulnerable populations in a terrible situation. There is a need for OSHA oversight, paid sick leave, and closer regulations for independent contractors in order to help protect a greater range of people than the current Heroes Act. The conversation shifted to the need for childcare for essential workers. With schools closed many workers are placed in a difficult situation where they need work to provide for their families as well as childcare support in order to go to that work. The professors proposed that paid sick leave should be provided to these families. The conversation ended by reframing the conversation to the long term effects of COVID-19. Regardless of socioeconomic or immigration status, workers who were rendered unable to work to do complications due to COVID-19 must be fairly compensated.
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Public Health Law Watch’s COVID Law Briefings are co-sponsored by the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University School of Law, the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University Beasley School of Law, the Network for Public Health Law, and the APHA Law Section.