We had 40 hours of COVID hours for yourself or a family member or child care issues back in 2020, but they changed it in 2021 to self only and Covid positive test is required.
My coworker said I should have gotten a Covid test when I had Covid exposure just so I could use the Covid days.
That’s funny. I mean, the Bee often missed the mark, but that one works.
According to npr, the justices ruled that covid is a risk specific to a healthcare workplace, but not to other workplaces, so it was okay for the feds to regulate covid in healthcare. (And they also noted that vaccine mandates, for measles and hep B, are common in healthcare.)
Yep, I still have to finish reading the full opinions, but I think it also relates to the statutory authority of OSHA making a blanket mandate vs CMS tying conditions to federal funding. Based on what I heard in oral arguments last week, the justices might have been okay with OSHA doing a healthcare worker mandate because of the specific workplace risk.
I usually don’t find the Babylon Bee to be funny but they’ve nailed a few headlines in the last year or so.
The parking garage was practically empty today. Schools are out (ok, virtual) but not everyone has school aged kids. We are not off Monday and our PPT replenishes in January, so some could be taking a 4 day weekend but most won’t want to burn personal days this early in the year. I do have one who is actually off work though. I was planning to take off Monday (hubby is off & our anniversary was last weekend) but now I’m afraid I’ll get Covid so I’m gonna try to save my days.
Anyway now I’m wondering how many people are actually out sick.
We were back in the office hybrid style for a while. People definitely are encouraged to come in frequently for meetings and do, but it is flexible (3 days in the office per week preferred but many people hadn’t started coming in that frequently yet). Usually Wednesdays were the busiest with more than 50% of people in. Almost nobody in on Mondays or Fridays. We don’t have a vaccine mandate but as far as I’m aware everyone in the department, or at least anyone I regularly talk to, is vaccinated. I think you’re supposed to get tested regularly if you’re not but I forget because everyone I know at work is vaccinated. There was some talk about implementing a mandate due to the OSHA rules, not sure where that stands now. I do think there are people in other departments and locations who aren’t vaccinated, just no clue how many. I have some friends and extended family members who are unvaccinated, comparatively work has a much higher vax rate so is not something I’m too worried about for safety reasons.
With the holidays and omicron, it shifted back to working almost entirely from home. The expectation is that it’s temporary, once covid rates go down.
We have unlimited sick time so if you needed to take off for covid you would use that. I think most people who have had covid haven’t been sick so have worked from home, though people have taken some time off to help with school closures and things. Generally they treat us like adults and aren’t really closely monitoring your sick time off and assume you’ll use it reasonably.
This seemed like the best fit for this…
Police poured into downtown Ottawa in what truckers feared was a prelude to a crackdown on their nearly three-week protest against Canada’s COVID-19 restrictions.
It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer goes to work for H&H Bagel because they finally met his hourly-wage demands which just happen to be the “now”-prevailing minimum wage.
I’ve been seeing various new stories that many COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted (even in Canada 
!!!)…“And now you know who to thank for that!”
Yeah the restrictions are being eased, and were being eased without the convoy. The convoy accomplished nothing positive, and changed none of the things they claimed they were trying to solve.
I read a thread on reddit today about the Danes who are heavily vaccinated and pretty much wide open. Everyone gets a bit sick, but hospitalizations and deaths and other bad stuff have dropped off to well within controllable/non-pandemic numbers. That’s probably one of the most positive things I’ve read so far, and eases my mind about Canada opening up.
Of course that means I guess I’m going to get covid. Just got to get over my irrational fear of that. I’ve bought into the FUD just a bit too much, trying to overcome. (struggles mightily…).
Following CDC guidelines, we’re dropping the mask requirement.
We dropped mask requirement, elevator count restrictions, visitor restrictions, dinning room table restrictions. - Pretty much back to normal except now have the option to work remote
Not my company, but my county’s mask mandate expires tomorrow. I’m not sure if that means no masks tomorrow, or tomorrow is the last day, should look that up I guess.
I feel like I’m walking around naked.
Did you go all Bro and you’re not wearing pants, by chance?
:ctm:
I mean, if people have been worried about poor communication from hiding facial expressions, might as well go full monty. For communication’s sake.
Eh, it’s sexist to require everyone to go pantless. Women are much better at hiding their … expressions then men, and it puts men at an unfair disadvantage.
My office has dropped the mask mandate. I too, despite wearing my pants, felt naked roaming the halls.
Mandatory masking ends Monday 3/7, except for Mandalorians following the way. Individuals who consider themselves high risk may continue masking. Social distancing (basically lower capacity for meeting spaces) continues.
[don’t take me too seriously]Do I need to prove that I’m high risk in order to continue masking or will you just take my word for it?[/dtmtsmkay?]
I’m not looking forward to “is it COVID or allergies” season.
I don’t think there is any pressure one way or another. IIRC office returnees are a little over 70% vaccinated (I wish that were higher), and initially masking was only required for unvaxxed. After the guidance shift, everyone wears masks in public areas. I was masking in my cube when many weren’t in their cubes, but never got any negative feedback, and haven’t hear stories about management giving negative feedback to others.