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HomeMy WebLinkAbout112320_ra02Regular Agenda JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Philip Morley, County Administrator Erin Lundgren, Clerk of the Board/Human Resources Manager DATE: November 23, 2020 SUBJECT: DISCUSSION and POTENTIAL ACTION re: RESOLUTION NO. re: In the Matter of Adopting a Fourth Temporary County Policy Based on Emergency Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic STATEMENT OF ISSUE: As a temporary measure to protect public health and County employees under the declared State of Emergency for COVID-19, the proposed resolution adopts a fourth temporary County policy based on emergency response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. ANALYSIS: The proposed resolution adopts a fourth temporary County policy authorizing the following: 1) Continued telecommuting; 2) Continued temporary expanded use of employer provided sick leave; 3) Continued temporary sick leave advancement for employees who have no sick leave available to them and who have exhausted all other accrued paid leave; 4) Consideration of the leave options provided for in the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA); 5) Health and Safety Workplace Requirements; and 6) Delegation of authority to the County Administrator to issue interpretations of how these policies and the leave policies of the County's Personnel Administration Manual shall be administered by the County, including Elected Officials and Department Directors. Policies 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 shall be in effect beginning November 23, 2020 through March 31, 2021. Policy 4 will expire December 31, 2020, unless extended or reauthorized by the federal government. The County is prepared to negotiate the impacts of this policy with our employee unions as may be requested. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the proposed resolution adopting a Fourth Temporary County policy based on Emergency Response to the COVID-19 pandemic. REVIEWED" j Gam' ilip Money, ounty Adn�in r Date COUNTY OF JEFFERSON State of Washington In the Matter of Adopting a Fourth } Temporary County Policy Based on } RESOLUTION NO. Emergency Response to the COVID-19 } Pandemic } WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee declared a State of Emergency in all Counties in Washington State to due to the public health emergency caused by the COVID-19 virus; and WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, the Jefferson County Health Officer issued a Public Health Order to control and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus; and WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 to be a pandemic; and WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved a Declaration of Emergency due to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee signed Proclamation 20-25 declaring that a State of Emergency continues to exist in all Counties in Washington State due to COVID-19; and that his prior proclamations are amended and superseded by a Proclamation to impose a Stay Home — Stay Healthy Order throughout Washington State, which prohibits all people in Washington State from leaving their homes or participating in social, spiritual and recreational gatherings of any kind regardless of the number of participants, and all non -essential businesses in Washington State from conducting business, within the limitations provided in Proclamation 20-25; and WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved a Resolution Temporarily Limiting Access to County Buildings and Offices through April 24, 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved a Resolution Adopting a Temporary Policy for a Limited Period of Time to Grant "Emergency Paid Administrative Leave"; Authorize Telecommuting; and Authorize Sick Leave Advancement for employees due to the COVID-19 Pandemic through April 24, 2020; and WHEREAS, on April 2, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee extended through May 4, 2020, his Stay Home — Stay Healthy Order throughout Washington State, which prohibits all people in Washington State from leaving their homes or participating in social, spiritual and recreational gatherings of any kind regardless of the number of participants, and all non -essential businesses in Washington State from conducting business, within the limitations provided in Proclamation 20- 25; and Page 1 of 4 WHEREAS, on April 13, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved a Resolution Extending the Order Temporarily Limiting Access to County Buildings and Offices due to the COVID-19 Pandemic through May 4, 2020 or for as long as the Governor's Stay Home — Stay Healthy Order is in effect; and WHEREAS, on April 13, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved a Resolution Adopting a Second Temporary Policy to Authorize Telecommuting; Temporary Expanded Use of Employer Provided Sick Leave; Temporary Sick Leave Advancement; and Use of Leave provided under the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) due to the COVID-19 Pandemic through May 4, 2020 or for as long as the Governor's Stay Home — Stay Healthy Order is in effect; and WHEREAS, on May 4, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee extended through May 31, 2020, his Stay Home — Stay Healthy Order throughout Washington State, as provided in Proclamation 20-25 as amended, and adopted the Safe Start Washington plan allowing phased reopening of the economy and activities in Proclamation 20-25.3; and WHEREAS, on May 22, 2020, Jefferson County applied to enter Phase 2 of the Safe Start Washington plan with modifications pursuant to Jefferson County Health Board Resolution 30-20 and Jefferson County Resolution 31-20; and WHEREAS, on May 23, 2020, the Washington State Department of Health approved Jefferson County to enter Phase 2 of the Safe Start Washington plan; and WHEREAS, on May 28, 2020, Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Thomas Locke issued Directive No 2020-2 requiring all individuals to wear face coverings over their noses and mouths at indoor public settings, or at outdoor locations and cannot maintain distancing of approximately six feet, effective June 1, 2020; and directing that owners and operators shall not permit non -employees to enter a business unless wearing a cloth face covering, except while eating or drinking, effective when Jefferson County began full implementation of Phase 2 of the Safe Start Washington plan; and WHEREAS, on May 31, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee extended through July 1, 2020 his Stay Home — Stay Healthy Order by issuing Proclamation 20-25.4 entitled Transition From "Stay Home — Stay Healthy" To "Safe Start — Stay Healthy" County -By -County Phased Reopening; and WHEREAS, under the Governor's Proclamation 20-25.4, the "Safe Start — Stay Healthy" County -By -County Phased Reopening includes a requirement beginning June 8, 2020 that all employees must wear a cloth facial covering, except when working alone in an office and other exceptions, and requires employers to provide cloth facial coverings to employees except for certain occupations that require a higher level of protection; and WHEREAS, on June 24, 2020, the Secretary of Health issued Order 20-03, effective June 26, 2020, requiring all individuals in Washington State to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth when in any indoor or outdoor public setting, except under certain Page 2 of 4 circumstances, which provides a minimum level of protection for Washingtonians when they are not at work where the Department of Labor & Industries' face covering requirements apply; and WHEREAS, on July 24, 2020, the Secretary of Health issued Order 20-03.1, effective July 25, 2020, which expands the Secretary's prior face covering mandate to require all people in Washington State to wear a face covering when they are outside of their house, mobile home, apartment, condominium, hotel or motel room, bedroom in a congregate living setting, or other dwelling unit; and WHERAS, health professionals and epidemiological modeling experts advise that Washington is still in a state of COVID-19 outbreak, and pauses in phase reopening, restrictions on gathering size, and increased mask use may help prevent Washington from experiencing the crisis situation being experienced in other parts of the country; and WHEREAS, science also suggests that by ensuring safe social distancing hygiene practices, and the use of cloth face coverings, many business and recreational activities can be conducted with limited exposure to customers, which is important to revitalizing Washington State's economy, restoring jobs, and providing necessary goods and services; and WHEREAS, The Washington State Department of Health has confirmed localized person -to -person spread of COVID-19 in Washington State, significantly increasing the risk of exposure and infection to the general public, and creating an extreme public health risk that may spread quickly; and WHEREAS, Proclamation 20-25 has been amended several times, with the most recent amendment occurring on November 15, 2020 in Proclamation 20-25.8; and, WHEREAS, Proclamation 20-25.8 makes clear that restrictions in prior proclamations continue to apply, including those in Proclamation 20-25.7, issued on July 24, 2020, which makes clear that Proclamation 20-25 remain in effect until rescinded, and requires people to wear face masks both while at work and while not at work; and WHEREAS, RCW 38.52.070(2) vests emergency powers in the Board to take extraordinary measures for the preservation of public health and to relieve loss, hardship, and suffering; and WHEREAS, the severity of the situation demands that the Board take measures to protect the public and County employees from further transmission of COVID-19 in Jefferson County; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners that: 1. Policies 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6 below shall be in effect beginning November 23, 2020 through March 31, 2021 as a temporary measure to slow and help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, APPENDIX `I' — Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic as amended (attached) continues to be added to the Jefferson County Personnel Page 3 of 4 Administration Manual and contains standards for public service and accountability and is necessary to maintain the efficiency of governmental operations. Employees who fail to follow the requirements of APPENDIX `I' are subject to disciplinary action and termination for just cause. 2. Policy 4 will expire December 31, 2020, unless extended or reauthorized by the federal government. 3. This Resolution shall repeal and replace Resolution 35-20 of Jefferson County beginning November 23, 2020. APPROVED AND ADOPTED this day of , 2020. SEAL: ATTEST: Carolyn Gallaway, CMC Deputy Clerk of the Board JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Greg Brotherton, Chair David Sullivan, Member Kate Dean, Member Page 4 of 4 APPENDIX `I' — Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic 1. TELECOMMUTING: Healthy County employees may be allowed to work from home or another authorized location, as necessary and if practical, before being allowed to use sick leave. Accordingly, Elected Officials and Department Directors, at their discretion and in the County's interest, may take steps to temporarily assign employees to work in an isolated fashion, driving an individually assigned vehicle or piece of equipment with no passengers and avoiding close contact with others, or to maximize the assignment of employees to work from locations other than their County workplace, including their homes. Elected Officials and Department Directors are authorized to develop temporary alternate work schedules as may be necessary to increase physical distancing and to address other public health recommendations. Elected Officials and Department Directors will determine which positions are eligible to temporarily telecommute based on essential functional role and business needs. Telecommuting is not designed to be a replacement for appropriate childcare or eldercare. These telecommuting requirements must be followed: A. Telecommuting employees may be provided with county -owned equipment to perform their job duties or may be authorized to use their own personal equipment subject to configuration by Central Services IT. Telecommuting employees are responsible for maintenance and repair of their own personal equipment. B. At a remote location approved by the Elected Official or Department Director telecommuting employees must establish and maintain a safe, healthful and appropriate ergonomic work environment. C. Telecommuting employees will ensure the security and protections of information accessible from their alternate work location and will check with their supervisor when security matters are at issue. No confidential information (including administrator passwords) will be downloaded to any data storage device (including but not limited to hard drive, CD, DVD, or USB stick). Any information that is considered confidential or protected will not be removed from any County office without express written approval of the Elected Official or Department Director. D. The approved remote work location for an employee will not be changed without the prior and express written approval of the Elected Official or Department Director. E. Telecommuting employees must adhere to the attendance schedule of their designated work hours and get advance approval of the Elected Official or Department Director for any schedule changes. F. Telecommuting employees covered by FLSA shall observe all normal workhours, meal period breaks and rest period breaks as required by State and Federal laws. G. Telecommuting employees must be accessible by email, telephone and/or video conference during designated work hours, and if required, must be available to come into the office to perform certain duties as requested by the Elected Official or Department Director, except for limited periods when their official duties require them to be temporarily inaccessible (such as traveling to perform a work task in an area without cell service). H. The Elected Official or Department Director shall establish an appropriate method for reporting on performance of job duties and task assignments. One example of this would Page 1 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic be the telecommuting employee emails their supervisor their daily work plan at the beginning of each day, and keeps a log of work performed. I. Telecommuting employees must contact their supervisor if the employee is uncertain about their work plan, has questions about duties, has insufficient work to fill their scheduled workday, is unable to continue remote access or has concerns or problems with their remote work location. I All duties, obligations, responsibilities, and conditions of employment with the County remain unchanged and all County rules, regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to employee conduct, and performance of duties and health and safety must be followed. K. Employees assigned to telecommute by the Elected Official or Department Director shall agree to and sign the attached Telecommuting/Remote Work Agreement. The Agreement shall be updated any time there is a change authorized by the Elected Official or Department Director. 2. TEMPORARY EXPANDED USE OF EMPLOYER PROVIDED SICK LEAVE: Elected Officials and Department Directors may approve the use of employer provided sick leave for the specific reasons listed below which may be in addition to the reasons provided elsewhere in the Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual or otherwise required by State law. This applies to employees, including those employees in their trial period: A. Who are sick or are taking care of someone who is sick; B. Who have been exposed to an individual suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 and it has been recommended by an Elected Official, Department Director or health care professional that the employee be in isolation or quarantine; C. Who have to care for a child when their child's school or place of care has been closed due to COVID-19, including schools or places of care that have moved to online instruction or to another model in which children are expected or required to complete assignments at home in place of in -person instruction; D. Who are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 (65 years -old and older, have underlying health issues, or are pregnant); or, E. Who are ordered not to come to their workplace by federal, state or local government officials or so advised by a health care professional, even though they are not sick. 3. TEMPORARY SICK LEAVE ADVANCEMENT: Elected Officials and Department Directors may approve up to ten (10) days of sick leave advancement for employees who have no sick leave available to them and who have exhausted all other accrued paid leave, and all other conditions are reasonable to such negative accrual. This applies to employees, including those employees in their trial period: A. Who are sick or are taking care of someone who is sick; B. Who have been exposed to an individual suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 and it has been recommended by an Elected Official, Department Director or health care professional that the employee be in isolation or quarantine; C. Who have to care for a child when their child's school or place of care has been closed due to COVID-19, including schools or places of care that have moved to online instruction or Page 2 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic to another model in which children are expected or required to complete assignments at home in place of in -person instruction; D. Who are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 (65 years -old and older, have underlying health issues, or are pregnant) and who request an accommodation; or, E. Who are ordered not to come to their workplace by federal, state or local government officials or so advised by a health care professional, even though they are not sick. Advanced accrual of up to ten (10) days of sick leave balance will be repaid either through future positive accruals at normal accrual rates or with a deduction from final employment payments should an employee leave County service for any reason when their sick leave account remains negative. 4. FEDERAL FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT (FFCRA): Elected Officials and Department Directors shall consider the use of leave specifically authorized by the new FFCRA. In addition to the policies above, under the new federal FFCRA, which is in effect from April 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, unless extended or reauthorized by the federal government, employees may be eligible for paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specific reasons related to COVID-19. FFCRA includes Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave, which are summarized below. In the application of FFCRA, the regulations of the U.S. Department of Labor controls. A. Emergency Paid Sick Leave: 1. In addition to sick leave benefits the employer already provides to employees, eligible full-time employees are entitled to up to 80 hours. 2. Eligible employees who work a part-time or temporary schedule are entitled to be paid based on the average number of hours the employee worked for the six months prior to taking this leave. 3. Eligible employees who have worked for less than six months prior to taking leave are entitled to be paid based on the average number of hours the employee would normally be scheduled to work over a two -week period.) 4. Eligible employees receive 100% of pay up to $511 daily and $5,110 total for qualifying reasons in Section C.1, C.2, or C.3 below. 5. Eligible employees receive 2/3 pay up to $200 daily and $2,000 total for qualifying reasons in Section CA, C.5, or C.6 below. B. Expanded Family and Medical Leave: 1. Eligible employees who have been employed for at least 30 days prior to their leave request may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave. 2. The first ten (10) days is unpaid, but employees are allowed to use their emergency paid sick leave or any other accrued leave they may have. Page 3 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic 3. Eligible employees receive 2/3 pay up to $200 daily and $10,000 total for qualifying reason in Section C.5 below. C. Qualifying reasons for leave related to COVID-19: An employee is entitled to take leave related to COVID-19 if the employee is unable to work, including unable to telework, because the employee is: 1. Subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19; 2. Advised by a health care provider to self -quarantine due to concerns related to COVID- 19; 3. Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis. 4. Caring for an "individual" who is subject to an order described in "1" or a self - quarantine as described in "2" above; 5. Caring for the employee's child under age 18 due to the closure of the child's school or unavailability of the child's childcare provider due to COVID-19 related reasons, including schools or places of care that have moved to online instruction or to another model in which children are expected or required to complete assignments at home in place of in -person instruction; or, 6. Experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 5. HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 employees must follow these workplace requirements: A. Employee Self Pre-screening Before Starting Work and Temperature checks: Prior to reporting to work at a County facility, each employee will self -screen and self -monitor for potential COVID-19 symptoms and will immediately report to their supervisor if they are experiencing symptoms outlined below (some departments may require thermometer temperature checking of employees based on their level of risk exposure as outlined in OSHA standards and requirements): 1. A cough that they cannot attribute to another health condition; 2. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing that they cannot attribute to another health condition; 3. A fever (100.4 degrees F or higher), or a sense of having a fever; 4. A sore throat; 5. Muscle or body aches that they cannot attribute to another health condition, or that may have been caused by a specific activity (such as physical exercise); 6. Chills or repeated shaking with chills; 7. Headache; 8. A new loss of smell or taste; 9. Fatigue; 10. Congestion or runny nose; 11. Nausea or vomiting; 12. Diarrhea. Page 4 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic B. Within the last 12 hours, if an employee has 1) a cough that they cannot attribute to another health condition, or 2) shortness of breath or difficulty breathing that they cannot attribute to another health condition, or 3) if an employee has at least two of the remaining symptoms listed in 5.A. above, the employee shall do all of the following: 1. Contact their health care provider immediately or call the Jefferson Health Care COVID-19/Respiratory Illness Nurse Consult line at 360-344-3094 for an evaluation. 2. Notify their supervisor immediately. Follow guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding symptoms and testing and what to do if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html. C. Sick Employees Must Stay Home: Please help keep co-workers safe. This includes temporary/seasonal employees. 1. If you are sick, please contact your supervisor immediately and stay at home. 2. Medical certification from your health care provider may be required. 3. If you need to stay home to care for a sick family member, please do so. During this time, more workers may need to stay at home to care for sick children or other sick family members than is normal. 4. Employees may use applicable Federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave as well as their individual leave accruals per policy (e.g., sick leave, vacation, floating holidays, and comp time). D. COVID-19-Sick Employees or Family Members: 1. Employees who have been sick with or without COVID-19 maybe required to provide medical certification. Medical certification for FMLA requests will be required if the FMLA is for a COVID-19-sick employee or family member. 2. If an employee has COVID-19, the employee must: a. Notify their supervisor immediately. The supervisor and any other employee who knows must keep it confidential. This is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); b. Contact the Public Health Department. The Public Health Department will conduct contact tracing and inform close contacts of the sick employee that they may have been exposed to COVID-19; and, c. Follow guidance from the CDC regarding symptoms and testing and what to do if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html. 3. Employees who have a family member at home with COVID-19 must: a. Notify their supervisor immediately. b. Contact the Public Health Department. The Public Health Department will conduct contact tracing and inform close contacts of the sick employee that they may have been exposed to COVID-19; and, Page 5 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic c. Follow guidance from the CDC regarding symptoms and testing and what to do if you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.Working remotely may be authorized if approved by the employee's department director. E. Required Physical Distancing and Face Coverings: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 employees must follow these workplace requirements: 1. Employees shall keep at least six feet of physical distance between coworkers, and the public at all times, when feasible. Elected Officials and Department Directors or the Human Resources Manager may determine the locations where the required physical distancing is not feasible. 2. Employees shall use a face covering to cover the nose and mouth to prevent transmitting droplets from coughs and sneezes when they are: 1) in a location where the required physical distancing in Section 5.E.1, above is not feasible or they are unable to keep at least six feet of physical distancing between them and other individuals; 2) at their desk which is not situated six feet from other individuals (unless other transmission -mitigation alternatives to face coverings approved by Public Health have been implemented); 3) leaving their personal work space and entering common work areas, hallways, stairways, meeting rooms, breakrooms, restrooms, or any public area where they might encounter other individuals and may not be able to keep at least six feet of physical distance between them and another individual. 3. When wearing face coverings is required, employees may wear County -provided face coverings or coverings made or purchased by the employee. 4. Employees shall keep cloth face coverings clean, consistent with washing standards set by the CDC. 5. Employees should avoid touching mouth, nose, eyes or nearby surfaces when putting on, using, and removing a face covering. 6. Employees shall limit in -person meetings. Use phone conferences or video meetings when available. 7. When a meeting in person is necessary, employees shall only meet in a large room or outdoors, and shall maintain a distance of at least six feet from one another. Employees shall meet in person only for as short a time as possible. 8. If work duties require driving, employees who do not live together must take separate vehicles when the passenger space does not allow for physical distancing. 9. The judges of the District and Superior Courts have authority to modify the requirements in this Section as necessary to meet statutory or constitutional requirements for their courtrooms. 10. Pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213) or the Washington State Law Against Discrimination (ch. 49.60 RCW), an employee may request an accommodation to the face covering requirements in this section. F. Frequent and Adequate Hand Washing: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 employees must follow these workplace requirements: Page 6 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic 1. Wash hands frequently and regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as needed and including: when arriving at work, coming and going from different worksites, taking breaks, using the restroom, before and after eating, drinking or using tobacco products, after sneezing and/or coughing, and after touching surfaces or handling objects touched by others or suspected of being contaminated. 2. Use hand sanitizer (between handwashing) after touching surfaces or handling objects touched by others or suspected of being contaminated. 3. Do not touch mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands. G. Routine and Frequent Cleaning and Sanitizing: To help prevent the spread of COVID- 19 employees must follow these workplace requirements: 1. Frequently clean, sanitize and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and objects in work areas. a. For scanners, copiers, and printers see the attached "Canon Cleaning Guidelines 4.28.20.pdf ' b. Computers/Monitors — Not all computers are the same. See the attached "Guidance for Keeping Your Dell Technologies Equipment Clean _ Dell US.pdf'and "Clean and care for your Surface.pdf' i. Turn the computer off. Particularly for laptops. ii. For monitors use a dry, soft, lint -free cloth. If needed use a solution of mild soap and water. Do not use: 1. Aerosol sprays — no Windex! 2. Don't spray liquid directly on a screen. 3. Don't use a hard cloth. iii. If your mouse/keyboard is particularly dirty contact IT for a replacement. 2. Do not use other workers' phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment when possible. If an employee must use other workers' equipment, the employee should clean, sanitize and disinfect the equipment before and after use. Do not share headsets or other objects that are near the mouth or nose. H. Education: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 employees are provided the following information about these workplace requirements: 1. Education and information about COVID-19 is provided to employees through adopted policies, established guidelines and protocols, signs, posters, informational bulletins and meetings. 2. Resources for current information and additional guidance include: a. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): www.cdc.2ov/coronavirus. b. Washington State Department of Health: www.doh.wa.gov/coronavirus. c. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries: www.lni.wa.gov. d. Jefferson County Public Health: www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1429/COVID-19 or by telephone at (360)385-9400. Page 7 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic 6. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ISSUE INTERPRETATIONS: Federal and state law is in a state of flux as the federal and state government move to address the COVID-19 emergency. Accordingly, during the temporary period of the public health emergency, the County Administrator is hereby delegated authority to issue interpretations as needed of how these Policies and the leave policies of the Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual shall be administered by the County, including Elected Officials and Department Directors, during the temporary period of the public health emergency to ensure efficient use of resources and compliance with federal and state law. If federal or state requirements are more stringent than the above policy, the more stringent federal or state requirements shall apply. Page 8 of 8 Adopted: Appendix I Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic