Good planning limits liability.

May 26, 2020

This goes for employees and customers. The more potential problems you foresee and address with good planning, the fewer you will have down the road. The safety of your employees and your customers are integral to the success of your business. I’ll address that in a future post. Taking a “we’re all in this together” approach is more conducive to a healthier, safer workplace. I don’t recommend taking an oppositional approach to your planning, where the employee and customer are viewed mostly as potential legal problems. But in this uncertain environment where many people have lost jobs and savings and where there is a generalized fear of sickness and death, there will be legitimate and some not so legitimate lawsuits.

While you can never completely limit your exposure to legal action, it is a good idea to understand what possible exposure you may have. Have a lawyer who is experienced in labor law and premise liability take a look at your plan. They will see things you did not think of and can help button things up. Things as simple as the posting of signage at the entrance to your workplace, documenting your daily cleaning procedures, and having a plan to monitor employee compliance will all make a big difference. In terms of general liability, have them review your insurance policy to see if your business is adequately covered and whether there may be a “virus” exclusion.