MONTREAL -- While some economic activities will soon resume, worried workers who plan to invoke their 'right to refuse' work because they fear being exposed to the coronavirus should not believe that this will happen easily.

The workers health and safety commission (CNESST) said on Tuesday that to date, 14 refusals have been granted since the start of the pandemic in Quebec.

By law, a worker has the right to refuse work that poses a danger to him or to another person.

However, a worker cannot exercise this right if his refusal endangers the life, health or physical well being of another person.

CNESST spokesperson Nicolas Bégin said that the requests for right of refusal must be analysed in a “case by case” basis.

An employee worried about the conditions under which he must work must first speak to his employer or his employee representative, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2020.