March 16 Coronavirus Update for Staff
03/16/2020 -
New State Guidance for Employees 65+ and With Chronic Medical Conditions
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday called for seniors (those 65 and older) and people with chronic conditions to voluntarily isolate themselves during the coronavirus pandemic. In support of this recommendation, we strongly encourage any SCOE employees who fit into these categories to stay home from work for the time being. Please contact your supervisor for clarification and if you have any questions.
Look for More Updates Soon
Right now, information and guidance for employers is changing day by day. We are closely monitoring the situation and working diligently to provide clear answers to questions from employees who may need to stay home for medical concerns, childcare, or other reasons. We hope to provide additional guidance later this week. In the meantime, for your reference, see the attached policy related to employee leave. In addition, regular updates about schools will be posted on SCOE's main Coronavirus web page. Updates for employees will be posted in the Employee Center web page on the SCOE website.
You may also have heard that some bay area counties have been ordered to shelter in place to help contain the spread of coronavirus. These counties have seen much greater "community spread" than Sonoma County, and at this time, our county is not under a shelter in place order. Should that change, the SCOE Leadership Team will meet to determine which employees may be called in to help complete essential functions. SCOE is considered an essential service provider in the county's emergency operations plan.
Encouraging Self Care
These uncertain and challenging times can create stress and anxiety both at work and at home. We urge you to prioritize taking care of yourself. As a reminder, all SCOE employees and their family members have access to an Employee Assistance Program through Anthem Blue Cross. These services are available to you and your family at no cost regardless of health insurance coverage. Your privacy is important—the EAP services are confidential and no one will know you’ve called the EAP. To contact the EAP, call 800-999-7222.
Safeguarding Staff Health
We want to reassure you that SCOE has undertaken numerous measures to ensure staff safety. These include but are not limited to:
Asking any staff member who has a fever or feels sick to stay at home until they are symptom-free
Limiting events to 50 attendees or fewer and canceling all outside events not directly related to public schools
Encouraging 3-6 six feet of separation between individuals at all times for "social distancing"
Cleaning restrooms throughout the day
Cleaning conference rooms between events
Posting disease prevention tips throughout the building
