New CDC Recommendations & Modified Payroll Pickup Hours
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MEMO
To: All CISS Staff
Date: April 3, 2020
From: Sharon M. Francis, CEO
We hope this has been a week of settling into a new normal for you and your family, and that you are staying well! We are looking forward to sending out our regular, inspirational newsletter next week, instead of these kinds of reminders!! If you only have a few minutes, please read the red font below and come back to the rest soon.
Please review all of our important updates below:
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1. CDC Changes Recommendations today on face coverings
Today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) modified their guidance on wearing masks which you can read here here. They are now recommending (not requiring) the following:
“CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States. We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus. CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.”
We are all urged to keep in mind that a face covering alone does not prevent the spread of illness. All staff who are choosing to continue to provide care must continue safe practices during care by practicing all of the following additional guidelines regularly:
- Social distancing whenever possible.
- Washing your hands with soap and water frequently for at least 20 seconds, but especially at the start of your shift.
- Washing the hands of the individual in your care often.
- Cleaning common area surfaces in the home periodically.
We are encouraging staff to obtain or make their own face covering if they cannot regularly maintain social distancing with the person in their care. If you would like to request reimbursement for purchasing or making your own face covering which you will be wearing while working for CISS, we will reimburse each staff up to $5.00 - please add on your next timesheet under your signature in the notes area "Reimburse $5 face covering" (1 claim per staff, not 1 claim per family). If this new guidance changes your ability to provide care to someone, please contact our office to discuss this.
Here are some DIY ideas on face masks that can be made out of materials like t-shirts and pillow cases you can try over the weekend. This might also be a fun craft to do with the person in care!
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2. TCRC sent out an email today with tons of great resources related to the pandemic which includes links to community resources like food banks. You can view it here.
3. Timesheets are due THIS MONDAY! If you are not providing care over the weekend, we encourage you to send them in now to Payroll@IslandSocialServices.org
4. Next Friday, April 10th, is pay day. We are modifying payroll pickup to be from 9am-12noon. All checks not picked up by noon will be mailed. Our office is closing early that day. Once again, if you have not yet signed up for direct deposit, please consider doing so NOW and we will make it effective this next payroll saving you from waiting for it in the mail, or making unnecessary trips in the community that are not allowed right now due to the Safer at Home Orders.
5. Unemployment Claim = Still Employed
If your CISS work hours have reduced due to the pandemic and you are filing for unemployment, YOU ARE STILL EMPLOYED and this does not affect your benefits. We have waived the policy about staff needing to submit a timesheet and work at least once per month right now. We are starting to see a rise in disturbing calls from families and staff who think they have to quit or be terminated just to get unemployment benefits. This is not true! Please seek guidance on the EDD website. If you quit, this means you will most likely NOT qualify because work was available and you refused it. We have all of the major benefits links available for you on our Covid-page here https://www.islandsocialservices.org/covid-19/
6. If you or your families are choosing to self-isolate at this time, in accordance with the governor's Safer at Home Order, and you have not yet informed us, please reply to this email.
7. New Sick Pay Reporting Procedure (Announced last week) - Due to the continuing community pandemic, we are changing our policy for staff who are calling out sick, cancelling a shift with a family due to Covid-19 concerns, or losing work hours due to a family cancelling because they are choosing to limit outside visitors right now. Instead of calling our sick pay line at x2, please now complete our new Sick Pay Form. Please familiarize yourself with the information on the form, which you complete online. Fill it out on the day you miss your scheduled work shift due to the reasons listed on the form. Part of the form is shown below.
Even if you have exhausted all of your paid sick leave, we ask that you still complete this form for all scheduled work which had to be cancelled. We need to track the reasons why all work hours have been missed during this pandemic. We may change this guidance in the near future and will let you know.
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Final reminders from our Memo sent to all staff on March 20th, which can be found at https://www.islandsocialservices.org/covid-19/
- Respite Care is considered an “essential service" - this means that care can continue if safe. Independent Living Services provided to adults who are not living with their families is also considered essential.
- All transportation of children or adults in our care is not authorized at this time due to the State’s Stay at Home Order.
- No care should be provided if anyone may be ill or has recently been ill (staff or families)
- Regular hand washing and universal precautions must be practiced by everyone. All staff must follow CDC guidelines including washing their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds upon entering the family’s home.
- Confirm each appointment at least two hours prior to care to ensure that everyone is still well and in agreement.
- Overtime policies have not changed and must still be pre-approved by the office, which is only done in rare circumstances. Respite Caregivers are allowed to each work up to 40 hours/week (Sunday through Saturday) and those in our Foster and Kinship Respite Program may work up to 9 hours/day up to 40 hours/week.
And this should really go without saying ... you cannot provide Respite Care over ZOOM or FaceTime or any webcams - you must be physically present to ensure that the person in your care is safe.
Thank you for continuing to show compassion and care for each other.
Do all you can to stay well. We will get through this together!
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Most of the CISS Admin Team in the good old days prior to social distancing (3/4/2020)
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