By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A prominent Bahamian merchant yesterday backed away from requiring employees to pay for their own COVID-19 tests and said it will comply with an Act that requires it to foot the bill.

Brent Burrows, CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies) president, told Tribune Business that “the law is the law” when it comes to requiring non-vaccinated employees to take a weekly test to prove they do not have the virus.

“I don’t know why someone didn’t make an effort to contact me, but the law is the law,” he added. Referring to the National Tripartite Council, he added: “They should be more proactive and do some research on this stuff before they make these announcements. We’re not going to relax our policies; we are just going to have to pay for the tests. We will do what the law says and we would just pay for the test.”

Given that more than half of CBS Bahamas’ employees are already vaccinated, Mr Burrows estimates that paying for testing will cost the company $500 a week “at the minimum”.

“It’s not me that’s demanding this, but our customers on our contracts are asking for this. They want to ensure that the people we send to them are COVID-19 free,” Mr Burrows said.

“That’s the dilemma for us now, and I’m not going to change my policy of having mandatory testing or vaccinations. I’m going to foot the bill, but I’m not going to say no more testing. I’m not going to stop encouraging my staff to get vaccinated.”

Tribune Business had reported last month how CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies) had told staff it will only pay for the rapid antigen test costs for non-vaccinated staff until August 16, after which they will have to cover the $22.40 weekly cost themselves.

In its staff letter, dated June 18, the company said: “As The Bahamas continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, we at CBS Bahamas must take the steps necessary to protect both our team members and our customers....

“Effective July 1, any employee that has not received the COVID-19 vaccination will be required to submit to a weekly COVID-19 rapid antigen test. These tests will be administered by Doctor’s Hospital at the Town Centre Mall drive through location and will be paid for by CBS Bahamas.”

The company added that employees who receive their first vaccine jab will no longer be required to take the rapid antigen test some two weeks after that date, but it then said: “Effective August 16, 2021, the above weekly testing will still apply but CBS Bahamas will no longer bear the costs of these tests and employees will be responsible for this cost which at present is $22.40 per week.”

However, Peter Goudie, the National Tripartite Council’s vice-chair, confirmed to this newspaper that employers cannot mandate non-vaccinated staff pay for their own weekly COVID-19 tests. He explained that the Health and Safety at Work Act forbids employers from imposing any financial “levy” on staff to ensure they comply with its stipulations.

The Act’s section nine states that “no employer shall levy or permit to be levied on any employee of his any charge in respect of anything done or provided in pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act”. While employers can still require non-vaccinated worker to take regular tests, Mr Goudie said the law requires the company - and not the employee - to cover the costs associated with this.

Dwayne Higgs, general manager of Whim Automotive, yesterday questioned the logic of having employers foot the bill for COVID-19 testing.

He said: “I don’t agree with that. I think it should be free like how they have it in the US. That would encourage more people to test, but if an employee is irresponsible and goes out and does things that put them in jeopardy, then how is that my fault? That just doesn’t make any sense.”

“I don’t agree with this. You would waste your profits on tests. We have just over 25 people, so the tests every week would cost us probably over $1,000. Only 15 percent of the population is vaccinated, and even if you are vaccinated you could still have a breakthrough infection.

“This is going to go on until we get to the 80 percent herd immunity.”