Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Employees

Please report this to COVID@lowercolumbia.edu so that we can reach out to the student and make an assessment as to whether or not they should attend class in person.

*Close contact is defined as within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes in a 24 hour period

Please report this immediately to COVID@lowercolumbia.edu so we may reach out to the student and get more information regarding their current situation. They may need to refrain from coming to campus until they receive their results. If they test positive, they will need to isolate according to the guidance they receive from the Department of Health and/or their medical provider. 

Please work to provide appropriate accommodations where possible so they do not get behind in class. 

Please ask the student to stay home and isolate according to the timeframe provided to them by the Department of Health and/or their medical provider. Please report this immediately to COVID@lowercolumbia.edu so that we may reach out to the student for more information. 

Please work to provide appropriate accommodations where possible so they do not get behind in class. Do not disclose this information to other employees or students. It is protected medical information.

Hello (Student Name),

Thank you very much for informing me of your diagnosis. LCC cares about your health and well-being, and someone from our Health and Safety department will be in touch with you soon regarding next steps.

Take Care,

(Faculty Signature)

Please refer to the CDC's current guidance for travel.

If you have a medical condition impacting your ability to report to work, you may request an accommodation under The Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA). During a public health emergency, HELSA protects high-risk employees, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from risk of exposure to the COVID-19 disease on the job. Specifically, employers may not discriminate against an employee who is high-risk for seeking accommodation regarding exposure or, if no accommodation is reasonable, utilizing all available leave options, such as unpaid leave and unemployment insurance.  A Q&A on HELSA can be found here. 

The law defines a “high-risk” employee as one whose:

• Age or underlying health condition puts them at high risk of contracting a severe illness(as defined by CDC see the CDC’s list) ) from an infectious or contagious disease that is the subject of the public health  emergency, as defined by the CDC; and
• Medical provider has recommended removal from the workforce due to their high risk of contracting a severe illness

If you are included on the list of those who are at increased risk, as defined by the CDC, (see the CDC’s list) and would like to request an accommodation under HELSA, please complete the High Risk Accommodation Form and reach out to Human Resources at hr@lowercolumbia.edu so we can begin the interactive accommodation process.

If you have symptoms of fever and cough or shortness of breath, and not had any known exposure to COVID-19 or tested positive for COVID-19, you need to stay home and may return to work with a doctor’s note OR when you have been symptom-free for forty-eight (48) hours. Refer to the Return to Campus Guide for more information. Childcare workers should refer to the Return to Campus for Childcare Guide.

Beginning July 19th, if you are fully vaccinated and would like to work on campus without a mask, you must show proof of vaccination status to Human Resources (HR). Contact HR at hr@lowerclumbia.edu.

*Childcare facilities have different regulations – please contact Head Start or Early Learning Center if this applies to you.

If I am not fully vaccinated, are there changes for me related to work at LCC?

• If you are unvaccinated, you are required to wear a mask indoors whenever you are working around others.
• If you are unvaccinated, you are required to wear a mask outdoors if you are in close proximity to others.
• *Childcare facilities have different regulations – please contact Head Start or Early Learning Center if this applies to you.

No. The Governor’s Higher Education Proclamation 20-12.4 applies. Everyone must physically distance 3 feet from others.

Key takeaways for everyone:

• LCC will not require vaccinations for students or employees, so we fall into the category of an “IHE without fully vaccinated campus” noted in the Governor’s Higher Education Proclamation 20-12.4.
• Social distancing requirements have been reduced from six to three feet.
• The new requirements go into effect at LCC on July 19.
• Childcare facilities have different regulations – please contact Head Start or ELC staff if this applies to you.

Yes, you may ask students and/or co-workers to wear a mask if you are meeting with them in a close office setting.

Any visitors to campus will need to wear a mask if they are unvaccinated. Signage will be posted at all entrances.

Yes, you may be required to attend face-to-face meetings unless you have been approved for an accommodation based upon HELSA.  The law defines a “high-risk” employee as one whose:

• Age or underlying health condition puts them at high risk of contracting a severe illness(as defined by CDC see the CDC’s list) ) from an infectious or contagious disease that is the subject of the public health  emergency, as defined by the CDC; and
• Medical provider has recommended removal from the workforce due to their high risk of contracting a severe illness

If you are included on the list of those who are at increased risk, as defined by the CDC, (see the CDC’s list) and would like to request an accommodation under HELSA, please complete the High Risk Accommodation Form and reach out to Human Resources at hr@lowercolumbia.edu so we can begin the interactive accommodation process.

Please report any non-compliance to the covid e-mail at covid@lowercolumbia.edu

If an employee feels fine, not displaying symptoms, but has had close contact with a sick person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, the employee should notify their supervisor immediately.

Supervisors will work with employees to verify if their work can be done remotely. If the employee is provided the opportunity to telework and declines to do so, the employee must use their own accrued leave.

Request to telework by completing the applicable telework form and submitting to HR. Review the Telework Procedure for more details.

• Employee Telework Agreement Form
• Faculty Telework Agreement Form

Telework resources for employees:

• 9 Tips to Be Productive While Working at Home During COVID-19
• Make Working From Home Work for You
• How to Work From Home Without Losing Your Mind

In those instances where a telework arrangement is not feasible, employees who are self-quarantined will be released from work with no loss in pay during the time of self-quarantine for up to no more than 14 calendar days. If the employee starts to display symptoms while at home, the employee will no longer qualify for paid administrative leave and will need to use one of the leave types  as outlined in this leave chart if you qualify. It is vital to stress the importance of the responsibility for employees to consider the health of the workplace and their coworkers by exercising sound judgment and transparency during times of illness.

Employees will be required to submit a request for the self-quarantine leave by providing a self-written statement confirming the circumstance warranting the self-quarantine and should submit the request to HR. An email is considered written documentation. A note from a medical provider is not required. LCC retains the right to request written verification confirming the circumstances warranting the self-quarantine, which may include a signed affidavit from an employee.

If an employee contracts or tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to use one of the leave types on this leave chart if they qualify. For a list of leave options click here.

Due to school or childcare provider closures, you may:

• Request to telework (Note: telework may be approved even if you are the primary provider for child(ren) during telework hours).
• Use one of the Federal Leave options if you qualify, use sick leave, compensatory time, vacation leave, and/or leave without pay. You can also view leave options on this leave chart.
  
  

Anyone who is unable to wear a face mask due to disability, medical condition, and/or religious reasons, should contact HR at hr@lowercolumbia.edu to go through our accommodation process.

Employees can view all of their leave options on this chart.

Employees may be eligible to apply for Shared Leave, Unemployment Insurance benefits, Industrial Insurance (L&I) benefits or Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML). The Employment Security Department has published COVID-19 Scenarios & Benefits Available, a useful tool to help understand when unemployment, L&I or PFML may be applicable.

Please continue to protect yourself and families, neighbors and colleagues by staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Whenever possible avoid close contact with people who are sick, and frequently clean touched surfaces and objects.

Remember to treat individuals and communities impacted by COVID-19 with compassion and support – viruses do not discriminate and neither should we. Please speak up if you hear, see or read stigmatizing comments or misinformation.

If you think you have been exposed to someone with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, refer to the Return to Campus Guide, or Return to Campus for Childcare Guide. Be sure to monitor your health and to avoid spreading the disease to others if you get sick.

Employees:

• If you are vaccinated and would like to work on campus without a mask, you must show proof of vaccination status to Human Resources (HR). 
• If you are unvaccinated, you are required to wear a mask indoors whenever you are working around others.
• If you are unvaccinated, you are required to wear a mask outdoors if you are in close proximity to others.

When arriving on campus, be sure to check in with a Health Monitor before entering instructional spaces and spaces open to the public. The Health Monitor will be stationed at the unlocked entrance of buildings hosting on-campus instruction and public facing services.