The rat who called the state to report his employer is now suing

“Ratting,” in general, is bad. “Ratting” on a person or company that has provided you with a livelihood is the lowest you can go. And I’m not talking about abusive employers who are mean to you, belittle you, or treat you poorly. Those people will have to answer to karma or to higher authority. But during what is a crazy, difficult time for all of us, turning to the government or a lawyer to go after your employer is about the slimiest, lowest thing one can do.

I’m not surprised that New Jersey has one of the highest percentages of COVID-19 related litigation in the country. That’s according to an article on NorthJersey.com.

The article also talks about one lawsuit against the Sealy Mattress company in Paterson by a guy named Rahkee McGuire, who alleges he was hired as a night shift laborer at the Paterson plant in May but soon found that the company did not require workers to wear masks.

He allegedly filed complaints about the working conditions with the city Health Department and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and then was subsequently fired. I don’t blame a company for wanting to fire a guy who calls the state on them, especially at a time like this.

If you’re that frightened of somebody not wearing a mask, stay away from that person. Or talk to that person directly or quit your job and go somewhere where you DO feel safe or stay home in your basement where you can enforce protocols on anyone who enters.

But to go against your employer behind his back like that is disgusting. Why would an employer want to keep somebody on who was so disloyal as to do something like that? Isn’t it possible that the employer DOES set the rules and try to enforce them and it’s the employees who were not being compliant?

Everyone knows that employers today are busy trying to stay afloat and walking that fine line between keeping their employees happy and safe. Everyone also knows that there are going to be employees who flout the rules whether they are pandemic-related or not. But a person who would go out of his way to use a vulnerable situation like this pandemic — where facts and information can turn on a dime and businesses are flopping like dead fish — to bite the hand that feeds him is a special kind of rat.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.