Coronavirus liability waivers unlikely to shield restaurant employers

Workers’ compensation law remains general remedy should an employee contract virus, says hospitality legal expert

Restaurant operators should not pin hopes on blanket liability waivers to shield them from employee lawsuits in coronavirus cases, a hospitality lawyer said this week.

One such case arose last week. Nacho Daddy, a Las Vegas-area restaurant, faced backlash when social-media users condemned the restaurant’s requirement that workers sign releases of liability in its employee documents. The company rescinded the requirement.