Fox News Worker Sues for Workplace Bedbug Bites

Most employees are able to separate vacation mosquito bites
from the rhetorical itch of stress in the workplace. What happens when creepy
crawlers find their way into the office?

 

After being bitten by bedbugs during regular work hours, a
Fox News employee has filed a lawsuit against the owner of her Manhattan office building.

 

Jane Clark, 37, complained to human resources after three incidents
of bedbug bites between October 2007 and April 2008. She claimed that she was
ridiculed and that the office failed to take appropriate measures to inspect the
building for months.

A later investigation revealed that the bedbug infestation
was caused by another employee who was bringing the bugs to work from home.

Now that Clark has been diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder, claiming that she can no longer work, she has
filed a workers compensation claim with Fox News’ parent company (News Corp) to
pay her medical fees and lost wages.

 

Along with providing a safe and “itch-free” workplace,
companies have an obligation to seriously address employee complaints. The manner
in which the human resources department addressed Clark’s
complaints will likely be a contested issue during proceedings.

 

For more see;

Law.com
Healthcentral.com

Daniel A. Lublin is a Toronto Employment Lawyer specializing in the law of wrongful dismissal.  He can be reached at [email protected] or visit www.toronto-employmentlawyer.com