Opinion: Sumter business in the time of coronavirus

This letter is to all of the business owners who, despite closing their doors to the public, and despite the ability of their employees able to do their work from home, continue to demand their employees go into the office. Do these employers not understand the cost of risk? These employees, if working from home, reduce the vectors for virus spread. But if these employees go into the office, they bring all of their potential contagion with them. Now, you're not risking being down one employee, you're risking being down multiple employees. Does your business model account for that? Or do you even have a business model? If you're an employer that is this short-sighted and oblivious to the cost of risk, something tells me you don't. How about if your employees get sick and can determine that their only source of the virus is from the office? Can you handle the legal and social ramifications of this reality? When the local media contact these employees and ask how their employer is accommodating this crisis, for the alleged well-being of the employees, are you prepared for the truth being made public?

CHARLES DRAYTON

Sumter