Charter Probed by New York AG for Allegedly Asking Workers to Come In

(Bloomberg) -- The New York attorney general is probing whether broadband and cable television provider Charter Communications Inc. violated labor laws by requiring some non-essential workers to report to the office during the coronavirus pandemic.

New York Attorney General Letitia James launched the inquiry after her office received complaints from Charter employees who felt they were being unnecessarily asked to come into work, a spokesperson said. Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 20 ordered all non-essential employees in the state to work from home to slow the spread of the virus.

Charter, which provides its services under the Spectrum brand, said in a statement that in recent weeks it had “dramatically reduced the number of employees going into the field or into the office while maintaining the efficacy of our business operations that is so critical to fighting this pandemic.” The company said “the significant majority” of its office workers and call center employees are working remotely.

Internet use has soared as more people are working remotely. The company said it had rolled out “enhanced benefits to help alleviate employees’ concerns while still being able to meet the elevated needs of our customers and businesses.”

James has previously launched investigations focused on price gouging by retailers and false claims about cures for the coronavirus.

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