From: ^Human Resources
Internal Communications
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 8:55 AM
Subject: A Safe Return to Official Duty Stations
To: All SSA Employees
Subject: A Safe Return to Official Duty Stations
Please carefully read the updated Medical Office COVID-19 Employee FAQs, which become effective upon reentry on March 30, 2022. While you must review the complete FAQs, below are some of the most important policy changes.
Masking and Physical Distancing (FAQ #7)
All employees, contractors, and visitors must mask while in SSA space. Employees may use a mask of their choice, so long as it meets the agency mask guidelines. Offices will have disposable surgical masks for the public, and employees may also use these masks. Upon request, the agency will provide KN95 masks. Fully vaccinated employees do not need to physically distance from each other while in SSA worksites, but employees who are not fully vaccinated and members of the public do need to maintain at least 6 feet physical distance in SSA worksites.
Updated Signage - Daily Self-Screening (FAQ #10)
Employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or who are in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, must remain out of the office for 10 days. The updated daily screening criteria and new signage will be posted at the entrances to SSA facilities.
Telework and Laptops (FAQ #14)
Employees approved for telework should take home their laptops each day to be prepared for possible quarantines, isolation, or failed self-screening. Because we are sharing the agency safety protocols in advance, employees approved for telework will not be granted weather and safety leave (WSL) if they are unprepared to telework. Under Federal leave regulations, agencies may grant WSL only to employees who are participating in a telework program if a safety condition preventing work at the official duty station could not reasonably be anticipated. Employees are responsible for the proper care, use, and security (both equipment and data) of their laptop. Please see the Annual Personnel Reminders, Section 1.4, Use of Government Property, Portable Computing Devices.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Status Portal remains open for you to continue to enter updates to your vaccination status. We encourage all employees to receive booster shots and to include the booster shot record in the Vaccination Status Portal. You can find more information about booster shots here. The agency provides up to 4 hours of administrative leave for employees to receive a booster.
Your manager will be meeting with you soon, and you may direct any questions to your manager at that time. Please be patient as this is new information for all of us, including your managers.
Thank you for your commitment to our critical public service mission.
7 comments:
Should be titled "Return to Office". Management has nothing to share about allowing the public to walk in or line-up outside.
How sad that the lives of the public and the employees at SSA are son negatively impacted by so many folks at SSA who are absolutely clueless.
There is a Covid surge happening in Western Europe, and what happens with Covid there usually comes here in short order.
As much as we want life to get back to normal, Covid calls the shots.
I'm concerned that things might start to get bad around the time SSA is reopening.
Honestly, anymore I dont care. WFH or the office, they are horrible to deal with, slow, incompetent, and as welcome as a fart in a space suit.
@ 8:12 am - I don't think anyone cares anymore honestly.
"Members of the public do need to maintain at least 6 feet physical distance in SSA worksites."
I am interested in how this will be implemented in the hearing offices. I have yet to receive any information from OHO about what this will look like in the hearing other than notices telling me I will need to wear a mask at all times for my scheduled in-person hearings and to conduct a screening 24 hours prior to the hearing. .
Once again shifting burden to the customers or those needing serviced to deal with Covid. I sit on the Student Site Council at my children's school here in SoCal.
The very good school district sits on the border between LA County (over regulated for Covid) and Orange County (under regulated for Covid). So it has been kind of a political battleground for the LA Mayor's Garcetti going too far in Covid regulation and Orange County basically ignoring Covid. Unfortunately, the children and teacher are caught in the middle.
The very good school district is constantly sending out notices almost demanding the parents bear the burden of keeping a school Covid safe e.g. encouraging testing all the time, etc. This is all about shifting liability. It is nonsense. Why?
The SSA and school districts are funded to service their public. It is their responsibility to make a building Covid safe not the public. We will see how this plays out.
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