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Beware of this mask thing getting super political, and becoming a show of authority by liberal run governments in their states.When Can You Refuse to Wear a Mask?
There are a few occasions on which an employee could reasonably refuse to wear a face mask:
If a mask interferes with your job. If wearing a mask so impedes you from performing a basic function of your job, you should bring this to your supervisor immediately. Perhaps your goggles get steamed up, impeding the precision sight needed for your work, or your team cannot hear necessary verbal commands through your mask. You should approach your employer and try to find a constructive solution together. Barring that, you can ask to be exempted from the requirement.
If a mask itself creates a workplace hazard. OSHA guidelines (see 29 C.F.R. 1910.134(c)(2)(i)) recognize that respirators can at times create hazards of their own. Analogously, if a face mask were to pose an occupational danger, you could refuse to wear one. You would be within your rights to decline a mask if it prevented you from seeing or smelling a hazard, or it risked getting caught in machinery or catching on fire. Mask-wearing in such a situation could itself violate OSHA safety protections, and being terminated for refusing a mask would be unlawful.
If a mask exacerbates a medical condition. The other time you could decline to wear a face mask is if a legitimate medical condition prevents you from safely doing so. If you have a pre-existing respiratory problem, such as asthma or COPD, you should be able to obtain an exemption from your employer. Non-respiratory conditions, such as medically documented claustrophobia or anxiety attacks, will present more difficulty but may also allow for an exemption. You can ask for an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act or a state law, such as the Illinois Human Rights Act. It is best to provide a doctor’s note to assure your employer of the existence and severity of your condition. Your employer will have to work with you to determine whether a reasonable accommodation can be provided, as long as the exemption poses no undue hardship to the business.
Barring these few exceptions, you will not have much room to argue that a mask-wearing policy runs afoul of the law. Nor should you want to. Although the evidence is not conclusive, increasing research is pointing to the benefits of commonplace mask-wearing, and public health experts in the U.S. have followed the CDC in recommending mask use for the general public. Masks help protect you and those near you from a potential COVID-19 infection.
Mask Requirements and Their Consequences
Keep in mind that your employer is not the only entity able to require a face mask. Some governmental bodies are also mandating them: several states, including Illinois, have required face masks while performing essential work, using public transit, or anytime one is in public and near others. Many cities have also adopted such policies. The city of Laredo, Texas will even levy a fine of up to $1000 for failure to wear a mask in public. Various municipalities in the Chicago area are requiring face masks, and the village of Wilmette is even permitting businesses to refuse service to anyone not abiding by the requirement. Depending on the locale, consequences for refusing to follow a face mask order can vary from no enforcement to being warned, receiving a citation, or even facing arrest.
With the added protection that face masks can provide, as well as the legal disincentives imposed by local governments, it is in an employee’s best interest to abide by their employer’s masking requirements. If you choose not to, and you cannot avail yourself of the few exemptions available, you must remember that employment in most places is an at-will arrangement and you could be disciplined or terminated for your refusal. Lastly, if you are working, remember that many others are not so fortunate: millions of workers have been furloughed or simply eliminated. Complying with a face mask regulation is a small price to pay for maintaining employment. After all, you can always disguise your displeasure—with a mask.
Will the CDC be politicized or has it already been ???
Millions have phobias, medical conditions etc, otherwise that keeps them from wearing mask, yet they are being threatened or will be in the future ?? How far will all of this go ??
There are a few occasions on which an employee could reasonably refuse to wear a face mask:
If a mask interferes with your job. If wearing a mask so impedes you from performing a basic function of your job, you should bring this to your supervisor immediately. Perhaps your goggles get steamed up, impeding the precision sight needed for your work, or your team cannot hear necessary verbal commands through your mask. You should approach your employer and try to find a constructive solution together. Barring that, you can ask to be exempted from the requirement.
If a mask itself creates a workplace hazard. OSHA guidelines (see 29 C.F.R. 1910.134(c)(2)(i)) recognize that respirators can at times create hazards of their own. Analogously, if a face mask were to pose an occupational danger, you could refuse to wear one. You would be within your rights to decline a mask if it prevented you from seeing or smelling a hazard, or it risked getting caught in machinery or catching on fire. Mask-wearing in such a situation could itself violate OSHA safety protections, and being terminated for refusing a mask would be unlawful.
If a mask exacerbates a medical condition. The other time you could decline to wear a face mask is if a legitimate medical condition prevents you from safely doing so. If you have a pre-existing respiratory problem, such as asthma or COPD, you should be able to obtain an exemption from your employer. Non-respiratory conditions, such as medically documented claustrophobia or anxiety attacks, will present more difficulty but may also allow for an exemption. You can ask for an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act or a state law, such as the Illinois Human Rights Act. It is best to provide a doctor’s note to assure your employer of the existence and severity of your condition. Your employer will have to work with you to determine whether a reasonable accommodation can be provided, as long as the exemption poses no undue hardship to the business.
Barring these few exceptions, you will not have much room to argue that a mask-wearing policy runs afoul of the law. Nor should you want to. Although the evidence is not conclusive, increasing research is pointing to the benefits of commonplace mask-wearing, and public health experts in the U.S. have followed the CDC in recommending mask use for the general public. Masks help protect you and those near you from a potential COVID-19 infection.
Mask Requirements and Their Consequences
Keep in mind that your employer is not the only entity able to require a face mask. Some governmental bodies are also mandating them: several states, including Illinois, have required face masks while performing essential work, using public transit, or anytime one is in public and near others. Many cities have also adopted such policies. The city of Laredo, Texas will even levy a fine of up to $1000 for failure to wear a mask in public. Various municipalities in the Chicago area are requiring face masks, and the village of Wilmette is even permitting businesses to refuse service to anyone not abiding by the requirement. Depending on the locale, consequences for refusing to follow a face mask order can vary from no enforcement to being warned, receiving a citation, or even facing arrest.
With the added protection that face masks can provide, as well as the legal disincentives imposed by local governments, it is in an employee’s best interest to abide by their employer’s masking requirements. If you choose not to, and you cannot avail yourself of the few exemptions available, you must remember that employment in most places is an at-will arrangement and you could be disciplined or terminated for your refusal. Lastly, if you are working, remember that many others are not so fortunate: millions of workers have been furloughed or simply eliminated. Complying with a face mask regulation is a small price to pay for maintaining employment. After all, you can always disguise your displeasure—with a mask.
Will the CDC be politicized or has it already been ???
Millions have phobias, medical conditions etc, otherwise that keeps them from wearing mask, yet they are being threatened or will be in the future ?? How far will all of this go ??
