Major online retailer, Amazon has been fined for concealing COVID cases

Amazon has been ordered to pay a fine of $500,000 for hiding the number of COVID-19 cases at its California workplaces from employees.

The penalty, imposed under California’s new “right to know” law was handed out following a complaint that was lodged against the company.

The online retailer has agreed to pay the penalty and says it will improve the way it manages COVID notifications. The company has been forced to institute better ways of tracking positive infections, which include informing all warehouse workers of the “exact number of new COVID-19 cases in their workplaces” within 24 hours.

The fine comes after a complaint was made to authorities by a staff member.

California attorney general Rob Bonta stated that “as our nation continues to battle the pandemic, it is absolutely critical that businesses do their part to protect workers now — and especially during this holiday season.

“Californians have a right to know about potential exposures to the coronavirus to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”

California’s COVID “right to know” (AB 685) legislation:

Under the law, employers are required to alert workers who were potentially exposed to COVID-19 within one day, and must also report COVID-19 case numbers to local health agencies within 48 hours if they “meet the definition of a COVID-19 outbreak.”

Amazon has been continuously criticised for treatment of its workers throughout the COVID pandemic.