The safety of workplaces in the United States is governed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which typically inspects workplaces accused of violating health or safety standards. Gohmert later tested positive for the virus. Louie Gohmert required his staff to come in during the pandemic and then “berated” them for wearing masks, one staffer told Politico. Even in the halls of Congress in Washington, DC, aides to Republicans say they have been mocked by superiors for wearing masks. In Philadelphia, a judge has refused to wear a mask and has ordered others in his courtroom to take off theirs. In Florida, the sheriff of Marion County has prohibited deputies and visitors from donning masks.
Much has been written about whether employers can force staff to wear masks, but what about employers who try to do the opposite? What if your boss is one of the anti-mask campaigners most people are only used to seeing in viral videos?Īnti-mask workplaces are by no means limited to Texas or, indeed, to private companies.
But still, thanks in part to long public skepticism of masks by President Donald Trump, face coverings have emerged as a cultural and political flashpoint in the US - and in US workplaces. Health experts around the world have advised people to wear face masks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and polls have found an overwhelming number of Americans support mandatory mask laws. “He says coronavirus is a hoax, more people die of the flu, and there’s no evidence it'll really hurt us.” “If we’re at work, he doesn’t want us wearing a mask,” a second employee said. Since the pandemic began, Hartman has sent out at least seven emails seen by BuzzFeed News decrying the use of face masks, minimizing the seriousness of the coronavirus, and even encouraging staff to protect themselves from the virus by taking a drug that has not been tested or recommended by mainstream health experts. It was a shocking moment in the office, but according to five employees who spoke with BuzzFeed News, their CEO is known for such behavior and views. “He threw him out of the meeting in front of about 25 people, and it was very embarrassing and very humiliating.” “Hartman said, ‘Well, you can either take off your mask, or you can go home,’” the employee witnessing the exchange recalled. The young worker refused - he had an elderly grandma at home he couldn’t put at risk.
“We didn’t even get to start the meeting, and Al looked directly at him and said, ‘Take off your mask,’” said one employee, who - like all four others interviewed for this story - asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. There were about 15 people in the May 4 meeting in Houston, with about 10 more calling in remotely, when Al Hartman, the CEO of commercial real estate company Hartman Income REIT, turned to a 20-year-old employee. No one in the meeting knew what to do when their boss told their coworker to take his mask off.
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