HomeMy WebLinkAbout09. Receive overview and discuss Return to Office and Cal/OSHA Regulations to provide direction to staff Page 1 of 7
Item 9.
(Handout)
Amended
CENTRAL SAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WE VS.101 M POSITION PAPER
MEETING DATE: JULY 15, 2021
SUBJECT: AMENDEI RECEIVE OVERVIEW AND HOLD DISCUSSION REGARDING
RETURN TO OFFICE AND CAL/OSHA REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE, AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF
ON THE RETURN TO OFFICE PROTOCOLS PRESENTED
SUBMITTED BY: INITIATING DEPARTMENT:
EMILY BARNETT, COMMUNICATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION-COMM SVCS AND
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS INTERGOV REL
MANAGER
TEJI O'MALLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES AND
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: PHILIP LEIBER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Roger S. Bailey
General Manager
ISSUE
With the State reopening on June 15, 2021, and the newly adopted Cal/OSHA workplace standards
related to COVI D-19, Central San is determining its timing and method to return any remaining remote
office-based workers onsite and is seeking Board direction on the proposed timeline.
BACKGROUND
CAL/OSHA adopted updated standards effective June 17, 2021. Staff is in the process of updating the
District's COVI D-19 Exposure Prevention Plan to reflect the changes that will be needed to comply with
the new standards. Noteworthy changes to CAL/OSHA's standards include the elimination of physical
distancing requirements and allowing fully vaccinated employees to go maskless. Once the new Plan has
been updated, it will be disseminated to all District staff and training will be offered to all employees on the
change(s).
For the Return to Office Plan, several criteria were evaluated, including input from bargaining units and
District management, the lifting of State/Local health orders, and local schools returning to in-person
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 66 of 118
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instruction in Fall 2021 in order to further solicit feedback at the July 6, 2021 Administration Committee.
Staff is now recommending the following Return to Office timeline:
1. Formally return remaining office-based employees onsite on or by September 30, 2021.
2. Notify employees of the following timeline in July 2021, pending Board approval.
ALTERNATIVES/CONSIDERATIONS
For further Board consideration:
A small number of agencies, both private and public, have adopted policies to require COVI D-19
vaccinations as a condition of continued employment. Staff is requesting direction as to whether the Board
would like to require vaccinations as a condition of employment
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
There are no financial impacts attributable to this action.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Following a discussion, the Administration Committee recommended returning remaining remote office-
based employees onsite on or by September 30, 2021.
RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION
Staff requests the following Board decision related to the Return to Office Plan:
1. Approve the staff recommendation to return remaining remote office-based employees onsite on or
by September 30; or
2. Provide some other direction to staff.
Staff requests the following Board decision related to vaccination requirements:
1. Require COVI D-19 vaccinations as a continued condition of employment; or
2. Do not require COVI D-19 vaccinations as a continued condition of employment; or
3. Provide some other direction to staff.
Strategic Plan Tie-In
GOAL ONE: Customer and Community
Strategy 1—Deliver high-quality customer service
GOAL FOUR: Workforce Development
Strategy 1—Proactively plan for future operational staffing needs, Strategy 4—Meet or exceed industry safety
standards
GOAL FIVE:Infrastructure Reliability
Strategy 3—Protect personnel and assets from threats and emergencies
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 67 of 118
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GOAL SEVEN:Agility and Adaptability
Strategy 1—Maintain a safe working environment for employees and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic
Strategy 2—Plan ahead for scenarios of direct adverse impacts
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Return to Office/CAL OSHA Regulations Memorandum
2. Survey of agencies implementation on CAL OSHA standards and return to office
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 68 of 118
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' Attachment 1
CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA
SANITARY DISTRICT
July 6, 2021
TO: ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
FROM: EMILY BARNETT, COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONS MANAGER
TEJI O'MALLEY, HUMAN RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
DANEA GEMMELL, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
DIVISION MANAGER
SUBJECT: DISCUSS RETURN TO OFFICE AND CAL OSHA REGULATIONS
With the State reopening on June 15, 2021 and the newly adopted CAL OSHA workplace
standards related to COVID-19, Central San is determining its timing and method to return any
remaining remote office-based workers onsite and is seeking Board direction on the proposed
timeline and process.
The following information is a summary of the new CAL OSHA standards and staff is continuing
to analyze the impact of these standards on our worksite and will be updating the District's
COVID-19 Exposure Prevention Plan accordingly.
New CAL OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards
Effective June 18, 2021, the new standards include the following:
• Fully vaccinated employees do not need to be offered testing or excluded from
work after close contact unless they have COVID-19 symptoms.
• Fully vaccinated employees do not need to wear face coverings except for certain
situations during outbreaks and in settings where CDPH requires all persons to
wear them. Employers must document the vaccination status of fully vaccinated
employees if they do not wear face coverings indoors.
• Employees are not required to wear face coverings when outdoors regardless of
vaccination status except for certain employees during outbreaks.
• Employees are explicitly allowed to wear a face covering without fear of retaliation
from employers.
• Physical distancing requirements have been eliminated except where an employer
determines there is a hazard and for certain employees during major outbreaks.
• Employees who are not fully vaccinated may request respirators for voluntary use
from their employers at no cost and without fear of retaliation from their employers.
• Employees who are not fully vaccinated and exhibit COVID-19 symptoms must be
offered testing by their employer.
• Employer-provided housing and transportation are exempt from the regulations
where all employees are fully vaccinated.
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 69 of 118
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Return To Office and CAL OSHA Regulations
July 6, 2021
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• Employers must review the Interim guidance for Ventilation, Filtration, and Air
Quality in Indoor Environments.
• Employers must evaluate ventilation systems to maximize outdoor air and increase
filtration efficiency, and evaluate the use of additional air cleaning systems.
Requirements from November 2020, that remain in effect include the following:
• Employers must establish, implement, and maintain an effective written COVID-19
Exposure Prevention Plan.
• Employers must provide effective training and instruction to employees on how
COVID-19 is spread, infection prevention techniques, and information regarding
COVI D-1 9-related benefits that affected employees may be entitled to under
applicable federal, state, or local laws.
• Employers must exclude employees who have COVID-19 symptoms and/or are
not fully vaccinated and have had a close contact from the workplace and, if that
close contact is work related, ensure continued wages.
Return to Office Proposed Timeline/Process
Several criteria have been evaluated by staff before proposing the following timeline and
process. These include soliciting feedback from the bargaining units and District
management, the lifting of State/Local health orders, and local schools returning to in-
person instruction in August/September 2021. The following are the details of the
proposed timeline/process:
1. Formally return remaining office-based employees onsite in a phased-in approach
beginning September 13, 2021. The phased-in process would allow employees to
work onsite for 2-3 days/week and at home 2-3 days/week and requires supervisor
approval.
2. Return office-based employees to full-time onsite status on December 13, 2021. Any
exceptions will require a formal request, and those requests must be submitted to
Human Resources and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
3. Notify employees of the following timelines in July 2021, pending Board approval.
July 2021 SeptemberDecember
21
• • • 1 1
NotificationAp,
Phased • •
Committee Recommendation
A. Return to Office Proposed Timeline/Process
1. Recommend staff recommendation of the proposed Return to Office timeline/process
to the full Board for approval or
2. Provide some other direction to staff on the Return to Office proposed
timeline/process
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 70 of 118
Attachment 2
Return to Office CAL/OSHA Standards Date of Expected Return
PALO ALTO Employees that worked August 2nd
remotely will start a rotational
return to office 2 days a week
LACSD Return to work will be in Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for TBD
stages, there is a longterm unvaccinated and no social distancing.
return plan in the works, but
still figuring out social
distancing
SAN JOSE Tentative: 3 days/week September is the tentative timeline for in-
employees will work onsite and person work.
2 days/week employees will
work remote
SFPUC Workers can continue full-time Above standard-requiring all employees to be TBD
remote work through August vaccinated.
until further notice. In the
future, workers may be
required to work in the office a
set number of days.
OCSAN Workers will return to office 1- Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for Rotating return to office will start 7/6.
3 days/week at 25% capacity. unvaccinated and no social distancing. Fully onsite TBD.
There is no date set to be fully
onsite yet. Usage of
Teleworking will be determined
post COVID.
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 71 of 118
DELTA DIABLO On July 4th workers will have a Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for Rotating employees 2-3 days/week. Full
hybrid schedule with no more unvaccinated and no social distancing. return beginning in August.
than 3 days/week teleworking.
On July 18 workers have a
hybrid schedule with no more
than 2 days/week teleworking.
The plan is for full time return
to office with no teleworking
starting in August.
EBMUD People who have been Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for June 21st began rotating in person. Still
teleworking full time will now unvaccinated and no social distancing. TBD for full office return.
work 1-2 days/week in the
office. Hybrid of teleworking
and in-person are the future
plans but not determined how
often workers will be
teleworking and how often they
will be in-person. There are no
set post-COVID plans as of
yet.
DSRSD Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for
unvaccinated and no social distancing.
CCWD Staff will rotate in at 2-3 Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for TBD for full return to office
days/week at 75% of total unvaccinated and no social distancing.
employees. No determination
on full return to office plan.
NAPA SAN Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for
unvaccinated and no social distancing.
VALLEJO Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for
WASTEWATER junvaccinated and no social distancing.
WEST VALLEY Cal/OSHA compliance-masks only for
SAN unvaccinated and no social distancing.
July 15, 2021 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 72 of 118