BATON ROUGE - Many business owners are now faced with a big decision as the Governor's statewide mask mandate comes to a close Wednesday.

It's now up to them to decide whether to require masks on their property.

"It was much easier for businesses to deflect and say masks were ordered by the state. But now that the order is lifted, it's going to be up to the owner of the establishment," Baton Rouge attorney Ben O'Connor said.

O'Connor, an attorney with Babcock Louisiana Injury Lawyers, says businesses can keep their mask requirements in place for the sake of protecting everyone. If they choose to do so, staff and customers alike will have to abide by their rules.

And the law is on the business owner's side.

If a customer without a mask is asked to leave and doesn't, that could be considered trespassing. There are exemptions, however for some.

"The employees can be exempt from such a mandate if they satisfy for a religious or disability exemption," O'Connor said.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers are permitted to mandate masks as long as there is an active pandemic.