Per WO-RO guidance: Beginning tomorrow, 3/17, Region 5 will allow for local units to maximize the use of telework to promote social distancing and promote the social distancing to decrease and slow down the spread of COVID-19, per the guidance below through April 3, 2020. Though our offices will continue to remain open, we are restricting access to the public.
To set us up for success for the next two weeks I ask supervisors to—
Shift employees from ineligible for telework into an eligible telework status;
Ensure employees are telework ready and have work to perform from home;
Schedule work accordingly; if needed combination, of telework and office work;
Consider a change in work schedules, adjusting start and end times to allow for flexibility;
Allow for social distancing via telework and in the workplace; and
Allow for unscheduled annual leave and unscheduled telework.
In addition:
Ensure all employees apply the same self-assessment we are asking of visitors prior to entering our work areas.
This self-assessment includes three questions:
Have you, someone living in your household, someone with you, someone you have been in close or frequent contact with or someone you are caring for been diagnosed with Covid-19 (cornonavirus) or had any contact with a confirmed cased of Covid-19?
In the last 14 days have you, someone living in your household, someone with you, someone you have been in close or frequent contact with or someone you are caring for returned from or made a travel connection through a CDC level 2 or level 3 country or State Department level 3 or level 4 country, for example China, Korea, Japan, the European Union or Iran?
Do you currently have, or have you had within the last 24 hours, any cold or flu symptoms, including a fever greater than 100.4, shortness of breath, body-aches and coughing?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, please self-quarantine until you can answer “no” for 14 consecutive days, and contact your supervisor about the need to self-quarantine. Supervisors have been provided leaders intent to assist you if the need to self-quarantine exists or variation from the 14 days is deemed appropriate based on your risk assessment.
Please ensure these decisions are communicated, and thank you for your continued flexibility and understanding as we try to develop and implement policies that protect all of us. |
