WWE Employee Says He Is Being Forced To Work During Coronavirus Pandemic

On April 9, the Florida Governor's office added "professional sports and media production" to the list of essential services in the state. This allowed WWE to continue running tapings from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida and the company will broadcast a mixture of live and taped programming until July. 

WWE was placed under intense scrutiny last week as it emerged Linda McMahon's Super PAC pledged to spend $18.5 million on broadcast advertising in Florida on the same day Governor DeSantis revised the list of essential services. The company also announced they would be making cutbacks on April 15 and subsequently released 33 Superstars despite estimates showing they were still on course to make record profits in 2020. 

Earlier today, a WWE employee named John submitted a public comment for the record at the Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting. John said he was being forced to work during the company's TV tapings and that he was not comfortable approaching the company with his concerns because he thinks he will be fired. 

The public comment was as follows: "My employer World Wrestling Entertainment aka WWE is forcing me to work TV tapings for weekly shows despite stay-at-home orders for coronavirus. I am unable to speak out as I need this job and I know I will be fired if I approach my higher-ups. Despite sanitary precautions, we cannot maintain social distancing and have to touch other people. I request the government to shut down these tapings and enforce the stay-at-home order so my colleagues and I may follow social distancing rules without fear or repercussion of losing our jobs."