Essential Workers in Brownsville Worry About Their Health

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Texas continues to rise, and the state continues to open up, some workers across the state are worried and wonder if they’ll be protected in the future.

Kathryn Youker with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid said there’s a huge demand for information right now about employment rights and that her office has gotten a lot of calls lately. 

“Most recently when the governor issued the reopening order that took effect, since then we’ve had a lot of questions about, ‘Do I have to return to work now that my business, my employer, has reopened and what can I do if I don’t feel safe there?’ And, ‘Whether I’ll still qualify for employment benefits if I refuse to return to work under these conditions,’” said Youker.

She also said that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration — OSHA — and Congress have not passed any new federal laws that require companies to provide face masks to their employees or enforce social distancing during the pandemic.

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