Many frontline healthcare workers are being appropriately asked to self-quarantine at home after potential exposures. While employees often have vacation or sick leave time, independent contractors do not. Given the personal risk frontline healthcare workers are taking to help fight this pandemic, AAEM calls on Contract Management Groups, hospitals, universities, or other entities who contract with and pay independent contractors to provide pay when the contractor is forced to miss shifts due to a quarantine order. AAEM further calls on independent democratic groups to develop a fair mechanism to compensate their physicians should they miss work due to a quarantine order.
Approved: 3/23/2020
This statement has also been jointly signed by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA).