You are almost certainly right about the US, at least in jurisdictions like
the "right to work" states.
In Canada (and elsewhere), it isn't just liability, it's uncertain
liability. Sooner or later the courts will converge on what they consider
to be an appropriate standard of care but it will probably take more time
for that to happen than it will take to get a reliable vaccine, i.e. two to
three years at a minimum. Until that point in time everyone who can will be
scrambling to stay on the right side of the standard; for offices that will
probably be "stay at home", generally.
I would be very surprised if there aren't already cases underway regarding,
e.g., meat-packing plants and assembly lines. An uptick in cases and a few
more instances of high-contagion industrial and food-processing
environments will put real pressure on those parts of supply lines, not
just because of liability but because enough people will simply quit.
Many won't because they can't afford to. The net result is what we already
see: risk of contagion skews by class and income. (Which gets us back to
mammonism.)
(The highest-risk jobs on the continent right now are probably support
staff workers at the White House. Known exposure and no real precautions
being taken.)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 10:37 am (UTC)You are almost certainly right about the US, at least in jurisdictions like the "right to work" states.
In Canada (and elsewhere), it isn't just liability, it's uncertain liability. Sooner or later the courts will converge on what they consider to be an appropriate standard of care but it will probably take more time for that to happen than it will take to get a reliable vaccine, i.e. two to three years at a minimum. Until that point in time everyone who can will be scrambling to stay on the right side of the standard; for offices that will probably be "stay at home", generally.
I would be very surprised if there aren't already cases underway regarding, e.g., meat-packing plants and assembly lines. An uptick in cases and a few more instances of high-contagion industrial and food-processing environments will put real pressure on those parts of supply lines, not just because of liability but because enough people will simply quit.
Many won't because they can't afford to. The net result is what we already see: risk of contagion skews by class and income. (Which gets us back to mammonism.)
(The highest-risk jobs on the continent right now are probably support staff workers at the White House. Known exposure and no real precautions being taken.)