Coronavirus Updates March 12
To: All employees
From: Safety
The world health community continues to monitor closely the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, named "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19). At this time, no one knows how severe this outbreak will be. Given this uncertainty, and the fact that the seasonal influenza (flu) virus is also widespread, we are taking proactive steps to address a number of business concerns. First and foremost, we want to maintain a safe workplace and encourage and/or adopt practices protecting the health of employees, students, visitors or others. We also want to ensure the continuity of business operations in the event of a pandemic.
We ask all employees to cooperate in taking steps to reduce the transmission of communicable diseases in the workplace. Employees are reminded of the following:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
- Cover your mouth with tissues whenever you sneeze, and discard used tissues in the trash.
- Avoid people who are sick with respiratory symptoms.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces.
Western provides alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout the workplace and in common areas. Cleaning sprays and wipes will also be provided for high traffic areas to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces such as telephones and keyboards upon request and subject to availability. Western’s physical resources has stepped up the process of disinfecting all working surfaces. They will continue to monitor cleaning practices throughout campus, including ensuring hand sanitizers are filled, placing handwashing signs in all bathrooms and ensuring the bathrooms remain in sanitary conditions following the guidelines of WDH and CDC.
Employees are encouraged to consider using telephone and video conferencing such as Zoom where appropriate instead of face-to-face meetings as much as possible as an alternative to travel. Western’s Outreach department is providing Zoom trainings in preparation for a possible outbreak.
It is critical that employees do not report to work while they are experiencing respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that employees remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. Many times, with the best of intentions, employees report to work even though they feel ill. We provide benefited employees with paid sick time and other benefits to compensate employees who are unable to work due to illness. Employees who report to work ill will be sent home in accordance with the above health guidelines.
While we currently do not offer formal telework arrangements, Western will consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests from employees to work from home during this time. While not all positions are conducive to telework, those positions with primary job duties that can be effectively performed remotely will be given consideration by the employee’s supervisor. If approved, these arrangements are expected to be short term, and Western will continue to monitor guidance from health officials and the need for remote work arrangements. Employees should not assume any specified period of time for telework, and Western may require employees to return to regular, in-office work at any time. Please contact your supervisor with any questions or concerns.