Thread regarding Bed Bath & Beyond layoffs

Exposed to the virus?

We have an employee that is being tested for the virus. He told me that he called out and told our manager that he has been exposed and is showing symptoms. He is currently waiting for his test results. Our manager has just told us he called out sick. Should they not be telling we were possibly exposed? If he test positive, will they tell us or is the dollar more important? I know they don’t want to tell us because the store would probably have to be shut down and be sanitized?and they don’t want to miss those sales but we are the ones risking being exposed while they sit at home or in their office not helping customers.

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| 1883 views | | 13 replies (last June 9, 2020) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+15lrMiTO

13 replies (most recent on top)

When an associate at our store tested positive we were just told that he was "sick" and that we were not going to close until the state ordered us to. Even when our state announced their shutdown we were told that we were an "essential retailer" and would remain open. A few days later we closed. So, if your question is will BBB be honest with you, the answer is no.

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Post ID: @2wdv+15lrMiTO

thats what i said stupid good name calling game, lots of fun

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Post ID: @2uhf+15lrMiTO

I call BS on this post. I really think it is to start trouble. A poster (or two) uses "the dollar" in their posts often. Just does not ring true to me.

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Post ID: @2ppj+15lrMiTO

mo–ns! If it is determined that you have been exposed you will be notified. Not if you may have been exposed. If you have seen anyone or been anywhere since Decemeber you may have been exposed. Find something else to whine about!

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Post ID: @2uqr+15lrMiTO

id–t......
Confidentiality under the ADA

The ADA requires employers that obtain medical information through inquiry or examination to maintain it in a confidential medical file and keep it separate from the employee’s personnel file.

Employers have been encouraged by the CDC and EEOC to question their employees regarding travel, exposure, or symptoms related to COVID-19. Any medical information disclosed as part of this dialogue should be treated as confidential.

If a positive case is identified in the workplace, the employer is encouraged to investigate the exposure of others in the workplace without disclosing the name of the individual or any personally identifiable information about the person.

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Post ID: @2tmh+15lrMiTO

no its not they are allowed to say someone has been exposed and u may have been too so ppl can protect themselves and get tested there is NO hippa law against telling ppl SOMEONE you have been in contact with has been exposed as long as they dont say who this company is run by scardy cats

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Post ID: @1nxy+15lrMiTO

There are hippa rules and regulations. They are legally not allowed to tell u who has tested positive even if they are given that information. They can tell you that an employee has tested positive but that’s pretty much it. Most times you’ll be able to infer who the person is anyway. It’s a sh–ty position for the management to be in to be fair.

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Post ID: @1ztt+15lrMiTO

This is a really big deal. If an associate tests positive not only do all the employees of that store need to be notified but any customers that have been there while the infected associate was working need to be notified as well. This is all part of that contact tracing. I find it hard to believe the store can remain open without being "deep cleaned" but this is BBB and I am sure they will find some way to keep what little customers they have left to spend their money and not close.

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Post ID: @1vrt+15lrMiTO

It’s none of your business if they test positive. It’s for their protection!!!

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Post ID: @1gma+15lrMiTO

"May" have been exposed is NOT the same as being exposed or testing positive. There are also privacy laws. We have all probably "may" have been exposed.

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Post ID: @1eer+15lrMiTO

COrporate has nothing to do with this whether they should be notified , as long as they dont expose who it is they damn well can let ppl know they may have been exposed and go get tested , f—ing corporate b—s— BBB corporate doesnt run the health dept and make their own rules call you health dept

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Post ID: @1owv+15lrMiTO

NO ppl r supossed to be notified that they may have been exposed thats bull sh– turn them in to your state wtf they could infect customers as well always MONEY above life with the BBB company, doesnt matter if he was tested and waiting results u could all be exposed and you should get tested if u worked with him or were in the store at the time he was SMFH

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Post ID: @1xgf+15lrMiTO

This is something we all should be concerned about. But at this time, I think the manager was correct ONLY because the employee has been tested but does not yet have the results. There are other health issues that it could be. There are concerns under the HIPA Act (medical privacy) that come into play here too. Once the test results are back, then the manager can provide more information under guidance from corporate. I think getting tested and getting the results are going to be key in these cases. In my state, if you test positive, then someone from the health dept contacts you (the infected person) to find out where you have been recently and who you might have been in contact with. The health dept then contacts those individuals who might have been exposed. They do not give out the name of the infected person (I think because of HIPA regs) but lets you know you may have been in contact with an infected individual and they provide you the information you need to know for follow-up. This is part of the procedures called Contact Tracing that many states have been trying to get up to speed before re-opening up the state. At this point, you may be able to get tested (now free in most states) roughly 7 days after you might have been exposed. The reality of the situation is that if you are exposed at work, shopping, church, hair salon, protesting, etc. etc. etc. there is not much you can do about it since there are no meds that work on the virus yet.

The flip side to this situation is what the managers will do if contacted by a health agency that a customer had the virus and shopped in our store. How will that be handled? Do you shut down and disinfect, do stay open, how do you notify potentially infected staff (if allowed), do the potentially infected employee(s) get contacted by your local health dept., do they stay home for 14 days, etc .?These are difficult issues ALL retailers, not just us, have to deal with. I am hopeful that corporate is following the CDC and state guidance in these matters. The transition back to work is going to be challenging until we get use to the new way of doing business. Nobody has gone through this before so this is going to be learning process all around. I also think there will be a need to notify staff of possible exposure so that potentially exposed person(s) can take the necessary precautions and keep the spread down to the minimum. It would definitely hurt the store more not to follow up on an exposure because if too many staff get infected then it could force a shut down. Just remember these are my thoughts. I have not been called back yet so I, like many of you, are waiting to find our what our "New Normal" will be.

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Post ID: @rbw+15lrMiTO

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