California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced that Amazon will pay a fine for “concealing” COVID-19 case numbers from its employees.
Amazon has agreed to pay $500,000 for violating a California law meant to improve workplace safety, the Los Angeles Times reported. Amazon also agreed to notify its workers within one day of new reported COVID-19 cases and provide the number of cases in the workplace.
The new California law, part of Assembly Bill 685, was enacted in January as part of an effort to protect residents from COVID-19, CNBC reported.
In a statement, Bonta said: “Today’s first-of-its-kind judgment will help ensure Amazon meets that requirement for its tens of thousands of warehouse workers across California. Bottom line: Californians have a right to know about potential exposures to the coronavirus to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
The action against Amazon came after a complaint accusing the company of failing to notify warehouse workers and local heath agencies of COVID-19 case numbers throughout the pandemic, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The money from the fine will go toward enforcing California’s consumer protection laws.
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