Hello, This is really a tough question. Since this pandemic begun, our staff was sent home to follow the state and health department decision on closing, however management stayed on at our Head Start program. Being a new administration, they had to be informed about the program and decisions had to be made quickly. Some line staff volunteered to go in and make packets for families, all social distancing was followed, but as you say nothing can be controlled outside the environment. Whatever the management team did on their own time, or at a second job cannot be controlled. So I am thinking, that if someone contacted the virus, it is inevitable that it would have be contacted outside the work environment. Even then, we do not know who has it, who carries it, who is immuned to it, unless everyone is required to get tested. It is a tough choice. I have been working remote until June first, and as an essential agency, I am now going in 3 days a week. People are scattered to work at various sites, so they are susceptible to being exposed to the virus one way or the other no knowing where the other people have been. So the policy in place follows the state labor laws policies for employees having COVID, caring for someone who has it or caring for a child or children who are at home due to covid due to no child care or school closing. My suggestion would be to see what the state laws are on COVID for workers.
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Rachel Beers
East Moline IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-17-2020 11:55 AM
From: Lorena Counterman
Subject: Sick Pay due to COVID-19
Our staff can earn Paid Time Off (up to 5 days) for the fiscal year. Because of COVID-19, this benefit has been exhausted for the remainder of the year - the new year starts July 1st. We don't offer sick pay, but teachers use PTO for this purpose. I feel I have an obligation to pay staff if a child or another staff member tests positive for COVID-19 resulting on a shutdown, or an employee having to isolate or quarantine. However, I don't see it fair to compensate if exposure happened outside of the work place. We are doing everything possible to minimize risk at work, but I have no control over what employees are doing outside of the work place. Has anyone had to deal or set policy for this?
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Lorena Counterman
Director
Friendswood Christian School
Friendswood TX
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