[afaust]

There is no specific OSHA standard covering COVID-19. However, some OSHA requirements may apply to preventing occupational exposure to COVID-19. Among the most relevant are:
• OSHA’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards (in general industry, 29 CFR 1910 Subpart I), which require using gloves, eye and face protection, and respiratory protection.
o When respirators are necessary to protect workers, employers must implement a comprehensive respiratory protection program in accordance with the Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134).
• The General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, 29 USC 654(a)(1), which requires employers to furnish to each worker “employment and a place of employment, which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”

*Source of Information: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/ (Dept of Labor/OSHA)

What to do if an employee contracts Covid_19?:

Employee with COVID-19 (Confirmed through Test):
• Contact local and state health department for instructions;
• Disinfect areas where infected employee may have been;
• To control spreading, notify employees, customers, and others who may have come in contact with or used the same facilities as the infected employee (or notify all employees, customers, etc.) so they can test, self-quarantine/monitor, sanitize, implement social distancing, etc.
o DO NOT disclose names or other identifying information of infected individual.;
o Give employees who have been notified options such as work from home, self-quarantine, information on monitoring for symptoms;
Employee with Possible COVID-19 (Not Confirmed through Test):
• If employee shows symptoms or has been in contact with the someone who has the virus, or has been to an area that is high risk, but has not been able to be tested, follow the steps above.
o In communications with potentially exposed employees, customers, and others, explain the exposure to a possibly infected employee and that the employee has not been confirmed to have the virus.
o DO NOT disclose names or other identifying information of possibly infected individual.

(*Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/success/when-an-employee-gets-coronavirus/index.html)

What steps is your bank taking to keep your employees safe during this time?

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[afaust]

Response from one CMG member about how their bank is trying to keep their employees safe during the Covid_19 outbreak:

“We have been divided into two teams at each location. The teams include members from across bank departments—bookkeeping, operations, new accounts, loan support staff, loan officers and compliance. We are working on a rotating M-W-F and T-T schedule. All drive-thrus are open. The lobby is open by appointment only and we are asking if the customer feels well or has been exposed prior to allowing them to come in. The rationale is if someone tests positive, only one team would be asked to stay in isolation and the bank could continue to operate. Everyone is pitching in and doing things they don’t normally do and we are all cleaning at the end of each day so the next group comes in to a clean environment. Only time will tell if this works.”

[rcooper]

Check out the Department of Labor’s website for updates on paid time off: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20200401.

[rcooper]

If an employee contracts covid what should we do?

The CDC guidane for businesses states:

Additional Measures
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Additional Measures in Response to Currently Occurring Sporadic Importations of the COVID-19:
• Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.
• If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, employers should inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace but maintain confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employees exposed to a co-worker with confirmed COVID-19 should refer to CDC guidance for how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure.

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