When we receive word that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, you will begin receiving routine notices that will make you aware of a potential workplace exposure. You may disregard these notices if you didn’t work at the worksite being identified in the notice. Due to our individual right to privacy because of HIPAA laws, you will not be provided with any information identifying the employee who tested positive. That said, you can be assured that we will continue to practice the COVID-19 Workplace Exposure Protocol to identify anyone who may have been in close contact (within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes in any 24-hours period) with the employee. If you are identified as a close contact, you will receive a separate notification.
DSS is taking measures to ensure the safety of all our employees by following the disinfection and safety plan outlined in the DSS COVID-19 Prevention Plan and the guidelines of the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC).
The DSS COVID-19 Prevention Plan
(IIPP Addendum) can be found here, or on DSSHOME under What's New as shown above.
As employees, we are expected to do our part to minimize placing ourselves at risk by ensuring we:
- Wear masks AT ALL TIMES in the workplace.
- even if alone in our cubicle, unless eating or drinking
- even if alone in our private office, unless the door is closed
- Remain at least 6 feet apart from one another.
- If we have a business-related reason and are unable to do so, we should limit the time spent within 6 feet to less than a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period.
- Example: Three 5-minute conversations with the same co-worker throughout the day, while not maintaining 6 feet of distance, may constitute a “close contact,” so we need to limit unnecessary in-person contact.
- If we have a business need to communicate often, we must make a concerted effort to pick alternative communication modes such as telephone or scheduling a Zoom, and if that isn’t feasible we must ENSURE we are at least 6 feet apart from anyone else.
- Example: we could be standing in the hallway six feet from our conversation partner, but there could be someone just one foot behind us on the other side of a cubicle wall. We may need to relocate our conversations.
- Do not enter the workplace if we are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms!
- All employees are expected to speak to their immediate supervisor, or designee, from outside the workplace, when sick.
- When we are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms, we may not return to the workplace until the following 3 criteria have been met:
- at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared, and
- at least 1 day (24 hours) has passed since last fever, defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and
- improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath)
Thank you for understanding, as we all play a role and have a shared responsibility to each other to maintain a safe and healthy workplace.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please talk with your supervisor or manager.