As we all try to work through the coronavirus pandemic it’s important to remember that there are many things we can do to make sure that we avoid becoming ill and we avoid our coworkers becoming ill. I have included a couple of different links for your information. The first is a page from the Oregon Employment Department. It answers some basic questions about reducing the risk of spreading the coronavirus and has some other frequently asked questions. I am providing this because there is a great amount of false information that is current going around.
One of the first things to understand is that the coronavirus significantly worse than the common flu. The common flu can be a serious problem and indeed, in 1918, we had the Spanish flu pandemic with somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 million people being killed worldwide. Since then we’ve taken a great many steps to make sure that flu is not as serious and for those of you who got your flu vaccine, understand that you are helping to keep other people well by not spreading the flu yourself.
The second thing to understand is that protecting yourself and protecting your coworkers from the coronavirus is relatively simple. Avoid going out into crowded places, wash your hands frequently, and try to stop touching your face (which is something I have a great deal of difficulty doing).
I have also enclosed a link to your rights in the circumstance of you becoming ill or one of your family members becoming ill and what you can and can’t expect from your employer. This chart also shows you when you can apply for and receive unemployment compensation in response to various workplace problems. The bottom line is we can and will get through the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s going to take some work.
Link #1: COVID-19 Related Business Layoffs, Closures, and Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Link #2: Scenarios and Benefits Available
