Can You Work If You Have Bed Bugs?
WouterYou may be asking yourself, “Can I work if I have bed bugs?” The answer is a resounding “yes!” Bed bugs are a pain, but they don’t make you unfit for employment. There are a number of ways to protect yourself from them. The first is to make sure you change your clothes before leaving the infested room. This will help keep the bugs out of your work clothes, while also keeping them out of your home.
If you work in a home, it’s likely that you’ll come into contact with bed bugs. To minimize your risk, wear light-colored clothes that can be washed. Also, wear shoes that are easy to clean and avoid wearing leather shoes. Another important step is to hang your clothing on a wire hanger or shower curtain rod.
If you have an infestation, you can make a workers compensation claim. Although the bites are typically not serious enough to warrant medical attention, they can cause stress and interfere with your ability to work. For this reason, employers may offer paid time off to employees who have bedbugs. However, this leave would not be covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In addition to quarantining your work space, you should also take steps to prevent the spread of bed bugs from one person to another. If possible, use an exterminator to get rid of the infestation. These exterminators use chemicals that kill bed bugs. Some of these chemicals contain hazardous chemicals, and it is important to keep a record of all of the chemicals used.
