COVID-19 Response Supervisor Information
Updates
All emergency proclamations pertaining to COVID mitigation end on 10/31/22. Although the state-issued emergency rules are ending, COVID is here to stay for the foreseeable future. LCC remains committed to the health and safety of our campus community. It is the responsibility of each student and employee to do their part in preventing the spread of this illness. We are still requiring everyone to follow the protocols listed below.
*Please note vaccination is required for Nursing faculty due to requirements for clinical sites. Please contact HR with any questions.
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- Stay home if you are ill. Monitor for symptoms and follow the college's "Return to Campus Guide," when deciding when to return to campus following illness. If you have questions about when to return, or need a rapid test, please contact covid19@lowercolumbia.edu. Students are required to notify their instructors if they test positive for COVID. If two or more people attending the same class test positive for COVID within seven days of each other, the class must be moved online for seven days. This will be done in order to monitor for in-class spread.
- Practice good hand hygiene. One of the most effective forms of controlling the spread of COVID is to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. It is also important that you avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with hands that are not clean.
- Take care of your health and immune system. Be sure to eat well, get plenty of physical activity, and sleep. Visit the CDC's page to read tips on how to boost your immunity.
- This pandemic has created a lot of stress and anxiety. Please remember that you can access our Employee Assistance Program by visiting our Employee Assistance webpage. You may also contact emergency mental health at (360) 425-6064 to talk to someone after hours.
- For more COVID resources, visit our COVID resource page .
Boosters
- We recommend that employees stay up-to-date on their COVID vaccination and boosters.
- If an employee is receiving a COVID -19 vaccine or booster and it is not offered at the workplace, reasonable leave to travel and receive the vaccine and/or booster will be granted. Leave in excess of 1 day will be allowed only in extraordinary circumstances.
Telework
- Refer to our Telework Procedure for more information.
Steps for Requesting to Telework:
All employee types (FT, PTH, Student employees, etc.) must submit a telework request if they plan to telework. Here are the steps for employees that are requesting to telework:
- Employee completes the telework agreement form and it will route to the supervisor for approval.
- HR will review the request and may reach out to the supervisor to ensure that telework is feasible for that position.
- Overtime eligible employees must keep track of their teleworking hours and report hours accordingly in ctcLink. To help keep teleworking employees accountable, please utilize the telework activity log. You can create a copy of the Google doc for your employees (path: File > Make a Copy).
Please note there may be payroll implications for employees teleworking out-of-state.
Remote Access to Confidential Information
Normal rules and regulations on confidential information (FERPA, confidential files and documents, etc.) remain. Please be mindful about this when approving work to be done at home.
Supervisor FAQs
You should stay home if you become ill. If you test positive for COVID; you must follow the rules and LCC's Return to Campus Guide before visitng campus. See also: Return to Campus Guide for Childcare.
Please see the gray box at the top of the main COVID-19 webpage for links to the current “Return to Campus Guide” and “Return to Campus Guide for Childcare.
Please refer to the CDC's current guidance for travel.
What we recommend:
- Ask them if they would like to 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 the employee is 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, they need to complete the High Risk Accommodation Form and reach out to Human Resources at hr@lowercolumbia.edu so we can begin the interactive accommodation process.
Can I ask my employee if they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms?
Yes, you may ask them this question. Don’t ask them to disclose if they have an underlying medical condition. If they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, they need to refer to the Return to Campus Guide.They may return to campus in accordance with LCC's Return to Campus Guide. See also: Return to Campus Guide for Childcare.
Please see the gray box at the top of the main COVID-19 webpage for links to the current “Return to Campus Guide” and “Return to Campus Guide for Childcare.
Can I ask my employee if they are traveling outside of the country?
Yes, you may ask them this question. Please refer to the CDC's current guidance for travel.
Is it ok for me to tell my employees that they should follow proper hand washing techniques? What about cough and sneeze etiquette?
Yes. This is something you should be actively encouraging in your workplace. See the CDC's website for cough and sneeze etiquette and hand hygiene.
Have them return to campus in accordance with the Return to Campus Guide.
Please see the gray box at the top of the main COVID-19 webpage for links to the current “Return to Campus Guide” and “Return to Campus Guide for Childcare.