COVID-19 FAQS | edcea-website

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IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO OUR MEMBERS ABOUT COVID-19

By now, we should all be familiar with the precautionary guidelines that have been published about containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We urge you to take the precautions you feel are necessary to protect your health and well-being during this uncertain time.

Our business agent, Roland Becht, is in constant communication with the County to monitor the measures being taken to protect employees while conditions are changing daily, sometimes hourly. The County’s plan is still a work in progress, but managers have been directed to determine which employees are essential personnel and how County business can continue using alternative work procedures. Roland expects to have more detailed information for us early on Thursday.

In the meantime, if you have a specific concern, please let us know so we can address it. If you need protective equipment or materials, request them from your supervisor and let us know if these are not made available. If you need to take time off for childcare or illness, the County has issued these guidelines:

1) Effective yesterday (Tuesday, March 17), if you're not feeling well for any reason or are nervous about coming to work due to COVID-19, you can use vacation or sick leave. You're also permitted to go 40 hours negative in vacation leave balances and 40 hours negative in sick leave. FENIX/Kronos will allow for this.

2) You can also use or vacation or sick leave, with the same allowance to go negative, if you need to stay home for childcare as a result of school closures.

3) If you're over 65 years old and choose to stay home consistent with the Governor's guidelines, you too can do so using vacation or sick leave consistent in the manner described above.

4) If you live in a neighboring county that has declared a 'shelter in place,' recommendation, you can stay home and use leave balances consistent with the above.

5) All departments have been encouraged to allow telework as often as feasible. (A relaxed telework policy and agreement has been developed.)

Please do what you need to stay safe and to keep your coworkers safe, as well. Let’s all watch out for each other during this trying time.

Marcia Woods

https://www.afscme.org/covid-19/C57-COVID-response-March-16-2020.pdf