On January 5, 2022, the USPS released to the APWU, management's guidelines on actions to be taken regarding clearing employees to work or sending them home to quarantine. The Postal Service has developed the USPS Close Contact Tracing Program along with other management tools in order to assist supervisors in determining what actions to take when employees are potentially exposed to COVID-19.
The tracing program involves corroboration with the employee, the supervisor, and the OHNA or Safety personnel at the District level. The January 2022 USPS Close Contact Tracing Program provides that the action for OHNA or Safety personnel is to initiate a close contact investigation:
The January 5, 2022 COVID-19 – Decision Tree is a flowchart style tool provided for supervisors. Following the line of questions and answers in the decision tree, if an Employee is potentially exposed to COVID-19 in the workplace or identified as a close contact to another COVID-19 positive employee and is sent home by USPS (only after concurrence from the OHNA), then the Employee stays home on Administrative Leave. As stated in the USPS Return to Work Policy (We have a News Article on our website from 1/19/2022 explaining that policy): Employee Absence due to Close Contact Tracing or Potential Exposure: The employee can return to work after five (5) days have passed since last close contact with a positive person, provided the employee has not developed COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19. Upon return to work, the employee will be required to wear a face covering for five (5) days whenever working near any other employees. The determination of return to work can be made by a local supervisor or manager without requiring nurse intervention as long as the employee indicates that they have not developed any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19. If the employee indicates that they have tested positive or have developed symptoms, nurse intervention is required For other incidences of employees becoming ill with COVID-19 (We have a News Article on our website from 1/18/2022 explaining the OWCP claim process): OWCP has set up a COVID-19 claim specific filing portal through e-COMP to make filing claims easier. Please note, this is only for COVID positive situations. Those put off work due to close contact tracing by the Postal Service should still be demanding administrative leave when the Postal Service orders them to stay home. Criteria for Return to Work for Employees after an absence related to COVID-19
(Updated Guidance as of 1/5/2022) Employee Absence due to Close Contact Tracing or Potential Exposure: The employee can return to work after five (5) days have passed since last close contact with a positive person, provided the employee has not developed COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19. Upon return to work, the employee will be required to wear a face covering for five (5) days whenever working near any other employees. The determination of return to work can be made by a local supervisor or manager without requiring nurse intervention as long as the employee indicates that they have not developed any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19. If the employee indicates that they have tested positive or have developed symptoms, nurse intervention is required. Employee Absence due to Symptoms of COVID-19 (without testing): The employee can return to work after these three things have happened:
Employee Absence due to a Positive Diagnosis: Employees with a positive COVID-19 test result who have had symptoms of COVID-19 can stop home isolation and return to work following an interview with a Postal Service physician or nurse to confirm:
The APWU website has the following information on requesting payment if you contract COVID:
Currently, there is a spike of COVID-19 diagnosis throughout the United States. Postal Employees are not exempt from contracting COVID-19. Following national trends, there is also a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases at the Postal Service. Not knowing how COVID-19 can affect any one person whether it is a mild illness, a severe case, a case of “long” COVID-19, what the long-term effects might be, or sadly even death, it is vital that those who contract the virus understand that it is their right to apply for worker’s compensation benefits to protect themselves and their families. If you are a postal employee, no matter if you are a career employee or non-career employee, you are entitled to file a claim with the Office of Workers Compensation Programs. The one caveat is that you must have worked at the Post Office at some point during the 21-days prior to your COVID-19 diagnosis, and are required to complete an approved form of COVID-19 testing to prove you are sick. Employees that have claims approved are entitled to have their medical costs and lost wages paid. Approved Claimants are also entitled to request that any annual sick or annual leave used be “bought back” and redeposited to their leave balances. Also, should a postal employee pass away due to COVID- 19, their survivors are entitled to benefits under the compensation programs if there is an approved claim. Section 4016 of the law provides that a federal employee who is diagnosed with COVID-19 and carried out duties that required contact with patients, members of the public, or co-workers, or included a risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus during a covered period of exposure prior to the diagnosis, is deemed to have an injury that is proximately caused by employment. In simple terms, this means that if you are diagnosed with (have a positive test) and you file an OWCP claim, it will be more than likely approved. You are not required to prove you contracted the disease at work. In order to receive benefits, those diagnosed must submit a claim. Do not expect management to do this for you and do not expect them to inform you that you have the right to file a claim. When you file a claim for COVID-19 you are entitled to request continuation of pay (COP). This is pay at your regular rate of pay paid to you by the postal service during your COVID-19 illness absence. You are entitled to COP if you file your claim within 30-days of your diagnosis. If you are filing more than 30-days after your diagnosis, you are not entitled to COP. Please note, that for the first three days, the law requires a “waiting period” that you must use sick, annual, or leave without pay (LWOP) before COP kicks in. However, if your absence lasts longer than 14-days, the first three days will be converted to COP. Any non-scheduled days also count towards the three day “waiting” period. COP can be paid for up to 45 calendar days after which any additional missed time will be paid as worker’s compensation payments by OWCP. In order to file a claim, it is recommended that you do so through e-COMP. You must register at https://www.ecomp.dol.gov Doing so ensures that OWCP receives your claim form, receives the necessary laboratory reports because you upload the documents. They system automatically forwards documents to your supervisors to complete and tracks whether or not the Postal Service has done their part. Using e-COMP gives you tracking and you can hold management accountable because you can see what they have and have not done. It should be noted that you can register on e-COMP at any time — whether you have an injury or not. In fact, it is a good idea to register and establish an account in case you need to use it anytime during your career for any at-work injury. It is also one thing less to worry about if you are diagnosed with COVID-19. The instructions below are not all inclusive and do not guarantee claim approval. To file a claim and to receive COP:
You have the right under the law to file an OWCP claim for COVID-19! Do not let management discourage you from filing a claim. Do not let them tell you that you have to prove your sickness was contracted at work, as this is not a requirement of the law. It is in your best interest to file for the benefits. You protect yourself and your families by doing so. If you follow the steps and have a laboratory test confirmed case of COVID-19, you will likely be approved. However, the APWU cannot guarantee claim approval. In November, at the local's general membership meeting, the Southern Oregon Area Local accepted nominations for the officers of our local that will be leading our union for the next two years. As many of you are aware, I have been diagnosed with a vision disablility which limits my ability to type, drive, and read at times. I have also had several eye surgeries over the last few years which require lengthy recovery times and dozens of follow up exams both here in Medford and less frequently in Portland at the Devers Eye Institute. It has become difficult for me to schedule and attend meetings, and I have not planned attending any APWU conventions or conferences for several years because I can never know that far in advance if I would be medically cleared to travel. This past year has been the most trying as a steward while trying also to perform the duties of your local president, which I admit I have dropped the ball on several important obligations.
Midway through 2021, Jeremy Schilling began taking on many of my responsibilities including planning our local meetings, the summer BBQ, updating our dues check off lists which were a disaster, contacting non-members and signing up new members, and representing some of the Medford clerk craft employees requesting steward representation when I was unable to drive out to their facilities. In October, Jeremy accepted my appointment of him to fill our local's vacant Vice President position, for which he exceeded my expectations in his leadership role. It was no surprise that when he was nominated for General President in November, that he would run unopposed, as I am sure everyone knew just as myself, that Jeremy was the leader we all wanted as our President. I decided to run as the local's Treasurer, which was a position I held several years ago, and I am pretty comfortable performing duties. There aren't the day-to-day planning and meetings necessary, and I can take more time over the course of each month preparing the financial statements and other duties. Another addition to our local's executive board is Danielle Kipfer, who ran unopposed as our local's Vice President. Danielle has been one of the most active stewards I have ever had the pleasure to know in my twenty years of being a "trouble maker" (old timers know what that means). She brings with her a plethora of grievance experience dealing with just about every single issue that there is a article number for in the National Agreement. Danielle has been dedicated in serving our local for many years prior to taking on this honorable challenge. For those of you who have frequented out local meetings, associate office steward, Dave Pettey is a familiar face and ever present figure fighting for clerks in the smaller offices in the Southern Oregon Area Local. I can not think of a better officer to fill the position of our local's Clerk Craft Director. And Jenna Haller, who also serves as the alternate chief steward for the Medford mail processing plant taking most of the workload over there as well, is once again serving our local as the Secretary for another two years. Jenna's dedication to attending just about every meeting (except when she was out of town on vacation) has been so important in that we have all of our meetings documented with accuracy as the meeting minutes are necessary in order to justify most of our local's expenses which require membership approval. I am also excited to see a relative new-comer to our membership meetings, and an active participant in our discussions, Nicole Rios-Seems as accepting the position of trustee. Our future looks bright Southern Oregon Area Local. Make sure to attend our January meeting on Sunday the 23rd to welcome your new leaders. Check out the Events tab on the website for more meeting information and the location. Craig Gordon Scheduled Meetings for 2022:
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