Oklahoma residents are familiar with volatile weather phenomena of all types, from blizzards to tornadoes. However, the recent earthquake took many by surprise, and shook up employers who may have considered the earthquake clause in their operational safety obligations to be a far fetched concern. What is an employer’s safety obligation in the event of a natural disaster? What is good additional practice? A recent piece by News OK addressed those questions and a few surrounding issues. Below are the main points.
- Under both state and federal law, Oklahoma businesses are required to have an emergency action procedure ready to execute. Those who employ over ten people must put that plan in writing, while smaller companies can tell employees in person. At the very least, such a procedure should address evacuation, operational issues, and emergency contact information for family members.
- If an employee has health issues that were the result of a natural disaster, that individual may be qualified to take leave by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Additionally, if a member of an employee’s family experiences a health issue in relation to or made worse by the natural event, that individual could be allowed FMLA as well.
- If a natural disaster results in the closing of a company’s location for a continuing amount of time, thus putting employees on leave, a company must communicate insurance coverage choices (including COBRA) to these displaced employees.
A company is obligated to provide a safe working environment for employees and clients at all times, and this includes having a well-rehearsed, emergency procedure in place for all major scenarios. If you’ve been injured by an Oklahoma workplace accident, contact the Oklahoma personal injury lawyers with the Maples Law Firm at 1(405) 705-5050 for a free consultation.
