The pandemic is not over.
Now is the time to ensure frontline workers are protected from unnecessary risk exposure to COVID-19 and retaliation for voicing concerns about safety in the workplace.
We proudly support this legislation alongside community partners, but we need your help to get it passed into law.
The hearing on this bill is today, so your voice is needed now.
Black Workers Are Most at Risk
A new report shows Black employees are twice as likely as white employees to have unresolved COVID-related safety concerns at work. Black workers are also more than twice as likely than their white counterparts to be subjected to retaliation by their employer for voicing safety concerns.
From the National Employment Law Project report:
Our results suggest that virus transmission in the workplace may be exacerbated by employer repression and that the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black communities may be related to greater exposure of Black workers to repressive workplace environments. These findings are especially important now, as more businesses reopen and the dangerous implications of penalizing workers for raising health and safety concerns will only grow.
Retaliatory acts in the workplace can set off a vicious cycle. Perceived retaliation in the workplace can have a chilling effect on the willingness of workers to raise concerns, which in turn can result in dangerous conditions worsening.
The Essential Worker Protection Act (Bill No. 200328)
Seven members of Council introduced The Essential Worker Protection Act. This legislation that would help protect workers who decline to work in hazardous conditions and speak out about safer working conditions.
Workers need these protections now. A single workplace where public health orders are violated could lead to a full-blown resurgence of community spread.
When frontline workers are safe, we are all safer.
Take Action to Protect Frontline Workers
Call or email your Philadelphia City Councilperson TODAY and urge them to pass the Essential Worker Protection Act.
Share this action alert!
Watch the hearing on this legislation today here. It is expected to come up anytime after 4PM.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
June 2020: Our physical offices are still closed due to the pandemic but we are OPEN and working to serve your needs. Contact us here. Sign up for WLP’s Action Alerts. Stay up to date by following us on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
