HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdministrative Order 2021-02 Amended Guidance for Employees and City Officials Regarding COVID-19 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 2021-02
Amended Guidance for Employees and City Officials Regarding COVID-19
(Effective January 1,2021)
PURPOSE
The Amended Guidance for Employees and City Officials Regarding COVID-19 is
updated to include the voluntary extension of Emergency Paid Sick Leave.
Administrative Order 2021-02 supersedes Administrative Order 2020-07 in its entirety.
The City is working closely with the Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) and
other partners to continue to ensure a coordinated response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19),
consistent with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)
and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).
With the ongoing occurrence of COVID-19 cases in Montana and in Gallatin County,the City
continues to focus on measures to protect the health of its employees,officials,and all members
of the Bozeman community. The purpose of this Administrative Order is to provide updated
guidance on the measures the City will be taking as the pandemic continues to ensure the City
is fulfilling its role as a community partner in slowing the spread of COVID-19 while
maintaining support for City operations and services and a safe work environment for City
employees.
Many of these measures involve "physical distancing"—prudent actions designed to slow the
spread of contagious disease. The City understands the current environment continues to cause
concern for our employees and would like to reassure our employees that these measures are
being taken as a precaution. Because this public health situation is changing day-by-day these
guidelines are subject to change or revocation as the City Manager considers necessary. Any
changes will be communicated to employees in the timeliest manner possible.
Administrative Order 2021 —02
Page 1
The following measures are applicable to all City employees and officials,unless an exception
has been made by the City Manager.
Guidance on COVID-19 is available at https://www.healthygallatin.org/coronavirus-covid-19/
This Order provides guidance for employees on issues related to the work environment,
meetings, use of leave, and instructions for tracking and reporting activities related to the
ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
The City of Bozeman's Pandemic Recovery and Reopening Plan—May 2020 is incorporated
herein.
This Order supersedes Administrative Order 2020-07 in its entirety. Administrative Order
2020-07 is hereby repealed.
City facilities will open as provided for in Order ED — 11. Employees must return to the
workplace as required by their department director pursuant to Order ED-11.
Until further notice, Department Directors are encouraged to continue to authorize employees
to work from home if department operations can continue with the employee working from
home and the employee's work environment enables them to do so. Such employees may be
asked to attend their workplace for certain events such as mandatory staff meetings, etc.
The City will comply with the Centers for Disease Controls' (CDC) Guidance for
Communities Schools Workplaces and Events (Guidance for Where you Live, Work, Pra,
and Play)and such guidance is incorporated herein. In addition,all Department Directors must
take all steps possible to ensure workplaces are managed in accordance with the federal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration's(OSHA)Guidance on Preparing Workplaces
for Covid-19.
These measures apply until further notice.
1. Sick employees must stay home. Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory
illness must stay home and may not come to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F or
greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least
24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g.
cough suppressants). Employees must notify their supervisor by phone,text, or email, and
stay home if they are sick.
2. Employees who appear sick will be sent home. Employees who appear to have acute
respiratory illness symptoms (i.e. cough, shortness of breath) upon arrival to work or
become sick during the day will be separated from other employees and be sent home
immediately. Employees may not return to work until they are free of fever (100.40 F or
Administrative Order 2021—02
Page 2
greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least
24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g.
cough suppressants).
3. Essential job functions; working from home. Your Department Director may ask that
you work from home with appropriate technology, devices and mandatory technology
safeguards. Department Directors will provide specific direction to their employees
regarding the ability to work from home, as well as direction on work hours and schedule
for non-exempt employees. The City and each department will have created a plan
detailing which essential job functions must reasonably be performed at the employee's
usual workplace. Employees working from home may be required to sign a telecommuting
agreement if required by the City Manager. Any employee whose position has been
identified as mission critical to be performed on site and who is at heightened risk for
adverse health complications if exposed to COV1D-I9 must immediately notify their
direct supervisor so that alternate arrangements may be made, or additional
measures can be taken to protect you at work.
4. Employees performing work in their usual work place. In accordance with City
Emergency Declaration(s) related to COVID-19, individual department plans, or other
administrative orders including the City's Pandemic Recovery and Reopening Plan, all
employees who are well and who have been identified as mission critical employees or
who are identified as employees whose duties cannot reasonably be performed from home,
must return to their workplace pursuant to the City's Pandemic Recovery and Reopening
Plan. The City and local health officials will work to ensure all such employees follow
CDC and local health guidelines for personal hygiene, workplace sanitation, and physical
distancing practices, including moving or reassigning work stations to minimize close
contact between employees, staggering work shifts in conformance with applicable
collective bargaining agreements, and/or other flexible work arrangements.
5. Employees who are well but have a sick household member must stay home.
Employees who are well but have a household member who is diagnosed with COVID-19,
should notify their supervisor. All such employees must self-quarantine as instructed by
current Gallatin County Health Department regulations.
6. Employees at heightened risk.All employees are encouraged to self-monitor for signs of
possible COVID-19 exposure. Employees who are at heightened risk may be required to
work from home if remote work is available. Employees who are at heightened risk as
described below must take the following actions:
a. Any employee who is, or has a household member who is, considered by the CDC
( or GCCHD to be at heightened risk because of factors such as age or an underlying
health condition, such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, or who are
Administrative Order 2021—02
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immunocompromised,must report this circumstance to their Department Director.
The Department Director must work with the City Manager and Human Resources
Director to determine whether the employee may be allowed to stay home and for
what length of time. As of January 1, 2021, employees subject to this section must
use their own paid sick leave or,if approved, leave without pay if their Department
Director does not identify work the employee can perform from home.
7. Extended Emergency Paid Sick Leave; use of accrued leave; leave without pay.
The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the federal legislation requiring
Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL), expired on December 31, 2020. Recognizing the
unprecedented impact of the pandemic on employees, the City is voluntarily extending
EPSL. The City's voluntary extension of EPSL will expire on June 14, 2021, or when
superseded by federal or state legislation or at the discretion of the City Manager,
whichever comes first.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Order:
a. Effective January 1, 2021,the City will voluntarily continue to provide Emergency
Paid Sick Leave. This is a continuation of the EPSL provided starting June 15,
2020, and not a new bank of emergency paid sick leave hours. This means,
whatever ESPL leave an employee did not use in 2020, carries over until June 14,
2021. The policy for expanded sick leave is attached as Appendix A and is hereby
adopted.
b. An employee seeking EPSL must complete the form attached to Appendix A and
return the form to the Human Resources Department.
c. Employees whose circumstances make them ineligible for EPSL or who have
exhausted their 80 hours of allotted EPSL leave, must use their own accrued leave
subject to the City's existing policies for use of such leave.
d. Employees who are eligible to work remotely but otherwise cannot or choose not
to meet hour or other work requirements must use their own accrued leave subject
to the City's existing policies for use of such leave.
8. Facility Closure
Effective January 1, 2021, if an employee's work place is closed due to COVID-19 the
following will apply:
a. If an employee is eligible for EPSL as a result of being subject to quarantine
pending a COVID-19 test result, after testing positive for COVID-19, and/or as a
Administrative Order 2021 —02
Page 4
result of being identified as a close contact of an infected person, the employee
must use EPSL. If out of EPSL,the employee must use their own accrued leave.
b. If an employee is not subject to quarantine and otherwise able to work, but due to
COVID-19 their workplace is temporarily closed due to overlapping sickness and
quarantines and remote work is not available,the employee may be eligible for paid
administrative leave. In the event of the temporary closure of a City Facility,
Department Directors will work with HR and the City Manager for approval of
appropriate administrative leave. The City Manager may terminate such paid
administrative leave at any time and for any reason.
9. Staff meetings/meeting with members of the public. Employees are encouraged to limit
their in-person staff meetings and Directors are encouraged to provide options for staff
meetings to occur using technology. The City's Information Technology (IT) Department
has resources to use for telephonic meetings. Please refer to the following link for
information on using phone conferencing:
hops://www.bozeman.netfHome/ShowDocument?id=10075. Other options may be
available. Department Directors may authorize other resources in consultation with the IT
Department.
For meetings between employees and members of the public, please discourage in-person
meetings. Do everything possible to use telephone conferencing or other forms of
technology to limit employee and citizen personal interactions. Again, Department
Directors can work with the IT Department to provide information on technology options.
General phone conferencing is always available. Before conducting or scheduling an in
person meeting with the public employees must receive authorization from their
Department Director.
Notwithstanding the above, meetings with ten or more people,whether staff, public,
or a combination,are prohibited.The meeting may be conducted using a combination
of in person attendance and telephonic resources.
10. Volunteers. Directors utilizing volunteers should consult Administrative Order 2020-09
for further detail.
11. Travel.
a. Work Travel. All work-related non-essential travel is suspended. The City
Manager will determine on a case-by-case basis whether work related travel is
essential.
Administrative Order 2021—02
Page 5
b. Personal Travel. Employees and officials are asked to consult the latest CDC
guidance relevant to personal travel before travelling, available at
hllps://www.edc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.
12. Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority (MMIA) benefits and employee assistance.
MMIA has published information regarding coverage for testing, remote resources
available to covered employees and officials (such as tele-medicine) and other useful
information at https://www.mmiaeb.net/covid-19/.
This is a stressful time for employees. Some employees may need to seek additional help.
Please remember the City provides an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) benefit to all
employees. More information can be found at https://www.mmiaeb.net/mental-health/.
13. Employee concerns. The City is committed to ensuring a safe work environment for all
employees. If you have concerns regarding COVID-19 and the City's response, please
contact your direct supervisor first and then your Department Director.
14. Confidentiality. Information you provide about having been exposed to someone with
COVID-19 or your own diagnosis will be kept confidential to the extent possible. This
means that if we have to warn coworkers or take other action to protect other employees or
the community, we will do our best to protect your identity, consistent with the direction
of the GCCHD and applicable privacy laws.
15. Exceptions. The City Manager may make exceptions to these measures on a case-by-case
basis.
DATED this 21St day of January, 2021.
elich, City Manager
Administrative Order 2021 —02
Page 6
f�
1 Appendix A
Emergency Paid BiekLeave(EPSL) - Extended
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a public health emergency
throughout the United States and in Montana. The health and well-being of our employees and
community members is our top priority.
The following describes the extended benefits and process for Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL)
- extended.
EPSL provides employer paid sick time "to the extent the employee is unable to work (or
telework)"due to a need for leave because of any of these qualifying reasons:
(1) The employee is subject to a Federal, State or local quarantine or isolation order related to
COVID-19. (Precautionary protective orders, including shelter in place orders, do not
qualify as a quarantine or isolation and are therefore not a qualifying reason for EPSL
benefits).
(2) The employee has been advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine due to concerns
related to COVID-19.
(3) The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a medical diagnosis.
(4) The employee is caring for an individual who is subject to an order described in(1) or self-
quarantine (2).
(5) The employee is caring for a son or daughter whose school or childcare provider is closed
or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. (Emergency responders are excluded
from this qualification.)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention("CDC") defines quarantine and isolation as:
• Quarantine: "[S]eparating and restricting the movement of individuals who are
reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease, but are
not yet ill."
0 Isolation: "[S]eparating and restricting the movement of individuals who have been
exposed to a communicable disease and are symptomatic from those who are not sick."
I
Eligible Employees
All permanent employees in an active assignment status at the time of the qualifying need to use
leave are eligible for emergency paid sick leave pursuant to the guidelines as outlined herein,
unless otherwise excluded. There is no waiting period for EPSL;it is immediately available to all
probationary and regular employees.
Emergency Responders
To ensure our essential services are operational, the City of Bozeman's emergency responders
listed below are not eligible to use EPSL for qualifying reason number 5 listed above.
• Police
• Fire
• Solid Waste Division
• Water Reclamation Facility
• Water Treatment Plan
• Water and Sewer Division
Number of Hours
Employees who are regularly scheduled for shifts of 40 hours per week are eligible to receive 80
hours of EPSL. Part-time employees are eligible to receive paid sick leave based on the average
number of hours per week the employee would normally be scheduled.
Notice and Documentation
Employees who meet the qualifying need should complete the EPSL - Request Form.
Employees should email the completed form and any supporting documentation to:
HumanResourcesnaebozeman.net and to their supervisor. The eligibility and administration of
the EPSL is determined and managed by Human Resources. Human Resources will respond
by email to the employee and the supervisor regarding approval status.
Carry-over and Expiration
EPSL does not accrue year after year, nor is it payable upon separation of service. Unless
extended,this policy expires on June 14, 2021, when superseded by federal or state legislation,
or at the discretion of the City Manager,whichever occurs first.
0 1(Jl o
Unless suspended earlier,this policy expires on June 14,2021
Permanent employees who are regularly scheduled for shifts of 40 hours per week are eligible to receive up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave.
Part-time employees'eligible hours are prorated.Calculation of pay is based on EPSL request reason.For leave reasons(1),(2),or(3):You are entitled
to pay at your regular hourly rate.For leave reasons(4)or(5):You are entitled to pay at 2/3 your regular hourly rate.
See Administrative Order 2021-02 for full details
Comm unicationZLII,,be •• sregarding .•■ •val and/or .•• •nal information required.
Email completed • ■•• • ■e to Human '' • '' • ••
Employee Name: I I Employee Phone M
Employee Email(required): Hire Date:
Dept/Division: Employee Title:
Your Supervisor's name:
Reason for EPSL Request(mark box)and Begin Date:
Emergency Paid Sick Leave provides paid sick time to the extent the emp oyee�isae to work(or telework)due to a need
for leave because of any of these qualifying reasons:
(1) The employee is subject to a Federal,State or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19.
(A Shelter in Place order does not qualify as a quarantine or isolation)
(2) The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.
(3) The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.
(4) The employee is caring for an individual who is subject to an order described in(1)or self-quarantine(2).
(5) The employee is caring for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed or unavailable for
reasons related to COVID-19,and no other suitable person is available to care for the child.
Documentation of your qualification for EPSL:
Reason(1)or 2 Provide name of the government entity that issued the order,or name of healthcare provider who advised you to self-
quarantine.
Reason . provide name,age and relationship of the individual and name of government entity or healthcare provider.
Reason(51.provide name and age of child(ren),along with school or daycare they attend.
Mditionat comments:
I acknowledge that I am unable to work(or telework)for my City of Bozeman position.I acknowledge that this request is not valid until
Human Resources approves it. I also acknowledge, I will communicate any changes to this request ASAP to Human Resources at
HumanResourcesngbozeman.net.Lastly,I acknowledge that Human Resources will respond to this request using the email I have provided.
Employee's Electronic Signature Date
v 1.19.21
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