There were about 15 people in the May 4 meeting in Houston, with about 10 more calling in remotely, when Al Hartman, the CEO of commercial real estate company Hartman Income REIT, turned to a 20-year-old employee.
“We didn’t even get to start the meeting, and Al looked directly at him and said, ‘Take off your mask,’” said one employee, who — like all four others interviewed for this story — asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
The young worker refused — he had an elderly grandma at home he couldn’t put at risk. So Hartman gave him an ultimatum.
“Hartman said, ‘Well, you can either take off your mask, or you can go home,’” the employee witnessing the exchange recalled. “He threw him out of the meeting in front of about 25 people, and it was very embarrassing and very humiliating.”
Staff in Hartman Income REIT’s Houston headquarters say they are now dealing with a suspected coronavirus outbreak in their office. At least three employees have returned a positive COVID-19 test, staff told BuzzFeed News, while many others are experiencing symptoms. (OSHA says coronavirus infections are likely work-related “when several cases develop among workers who work closely together and there is no alternative explanation.”) Many of the Hartman Income REIT workers are single parents, caretakers for elderly relatives, or have comorbidities that put them at serious risk for complications with the virus. Still, they do not wear masks, out of fear of losing their jobs during such a difficult economic time.
Source: Texas Boss Won’t Allow Masks In Office, Workers Say
