Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III has filed a bill giving private employers protection from coronavirus pandemic-related claims from employees who may claim that they have contracted the virus from their workplace.
The Senate President underscored the need to support the reviving of the economy with Senate Bill No. 1515 or the “Employer’s Liability Protection from COVID-19 Act". Sen. Sotto said that employers and business owners should be aware about the health hazards of their returning employees and the encounters in the working environment. Sen. Sotto saw the necessity to secure private institutions and its owners from lawsuits and claims of their employees who may claim to contract COVID-19 in the work environment or in the performance of their work.
The Senator however underlined that S.B. No. 1515, is not a protection from any obligation of the employer should evidence establish the commission of any wrongdoing or negligence.
He also said that small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) will significantly benefit from this law. The measure which Sotto said is in accordance with the administration's approach to uplift private ventures and support organizations, and to revitalize spending and employment.
As specified in the bill, no private institution approved by the government to operate during an outbreak of COVID-19 shall be liable for any allegations made by employees on the grounds that they have been contaminated while at work. Sen. Sotto noted that the immunity of liability is applied not only to licensed owners, but also to private agency officers.
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