Heartless bosses are reportedly stopping their staff from using the app to keep them at their desks, instead of self-isolating
Translated by Thomas Ansell
The head of the CNV (Christelijke Nederlandse Vakbond), Piet Fortuin, has called on its members to download the Dutch governments CornaMelder app, following reports that some bosses are asking employees to not download it. Company owners are reportedly scared that their staff could self-isolate following a notification from the app, which uses Bluetooth to ‘talk’ to other phones owned by people nearby. If someone has a positive Coronavirus test they enter it into their CoronaMelder app, which then shares the notification with anyone who has been in ‘close proximity’ for 15 minutes or more.
As reported by the Omrop Fryslân, the CNV has received tens of reports from its members reporting that their bosses are banning the use of the app. The head of the CNV, Piet Fortuin, says that businesses are thinking: “as soon as you get an update from the app, you’ll have to self-isolate. We’re a small company and if two or three of our staff are in quarantine, we’ll need agency workers. All of this is extra costs, so don’t download the app, or if you get a notification, ignore it!”.
Naturally, aside from being one of the worst kinds of vulture capitalism, making sick and likely infectious people work through a pandemic is actively working against the various measures taken by the Dutch government to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Besides, according to Fortuin, your phone is legally your private property. “So, what you’ve got on your mobile phone (including apps) isn’t something that an employer can take issue with”, says Fortuin.
“People need to take the decision themselves as to whether they want to use the app. It’s naturally good for public health”, says Fortuin, “so I would never let an employer stop me”.
Image via CoronaMelder (cropped)
