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CONTAGIOUS DISEASE POLICY03172020 1 of 2 City of Scandia Adopted:--/--/---- CONTAGIOUS DISEASE POLICY What is the City’s Current Sick Leave Policy? The City’s current policy on sick leave allows an employee to use paid time off (PTO), “in the case of an extended personal illness or disability requiring more than twenty-four (24) hours of continuous absence from work.” For the purposes of this policy, this also includes when you have been exposed to a contagious disease of such a nature that your presence at the work place could endanger the health of others with whom you would come into contact. It also allows use of sick leave to care for injured or ill children, spouses, fathers, mothers, sisters or brothers. What to do if you feel ill? At the first sign of illness, you should leave work immediately to avoid exposing coworkers and you should stay home until you are completely recovered, or the pandemic flu virus has been ruled out. What to do if you’ve been exposed to the virus? If you have been in contact with someone who is suspected of having the virus, you should report this information to your supervisor and stay home until the pandemic virus has been ruled out for the original contact person or for you or until you have recovered fully from the flu. When you can return to work? You may be required to produce a physician’s note stating that you may safely return to work, depending upon the availability of medical providers and the severity of the pandemic outbreak. What is my supervisor’s authority to send ill employees home? As always, supervisors have the authority to require an ill employee to leave the workplace, as a safety consideration for the health of other employees. While supervisors should not make judgments about a medical diagnosis, they may rely on symptoms to make a determination to send an employee home. (Coronavirus symptoms are respiratory in nature and may include fever, cough and shortness of breath.) What will happen if your sick leave is exhausted? If your sick leave runs out or is insufficient, you will first be required to use PTO, accrued compensatory time, and applicable disability insurance. If you do not have any paid leave available 2 of 2 through the City’s paid leave programs, you will be considered for a special extended leave program which is only available during a pandemic. If approved for special extended leave, an employee may accrue up to 40 hours of negative PTO. This policy only applies to employees who are eligible for health insurance benefits. What will happen with your health insurance? If you are eventually forced to use unpaid leave due to a pandemic related illness or complication thereof, the City will continue to pay its share of all insurance benefits for health insurance premiums. What will happen with regard to employee travel? Work-related travel may be suspended temporarily during a pandemic. How the city will communicate with employees? E-mail, city-issued phone, and/or website postings will likely be our primary means of contact, but please make sure your supervisor has up to date contact information for you (e.g., cell phone number). What preventative measure is the City requiring employees to observe?  Use of social distancing methods (maintain distance from those who are ill and under extreme conditions, from all other people in the workplace)  Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth  Stay home when you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick  Discontinuing handshaking as a greeting  Implement extended hand-washing method (at least 20 seconds with soap and water) after using the restroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing  Use hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) as needed or when soap and water are not available  Use disinfectants to wipe down work surfaces at least twice per day or when a possible contamination has occurred  Use cough and sneeze etiquette and dispose of tissues in trash cans