County social service worker urges action after COVID-19 outbreak – Orange County Register

Workers in Orange County Social Services are once again alarmed by the COVID-19 outbreak among employees and are asking county executives to make changes to protect the health of their employees. surname.

Last summer, some The Social Service Worker spoke publicly about concerns that the department has been lax in its requirements for masks and social distancing and that it has been asked to return to the office when it remains unsafe. With about 4,200 employees, Social Services is one of the county’s largest departments, and the nature of its work — such as helping people apply for food assistance and health care — makes them must be in constant contact with the public.

This week, the department’s clerical staff wrote to County Executive Frank Kim saying they feel unsafe at work and asking to be allowed back to work remotely, at least part-time. space to reduce the number of people in the building. They did not sign the letter, because they said that they were afraid of retaliation by their superiors.

“Yes, many people have been vaccinated, and yes, the county has provided us with masks and disinfectants to help us stay safe in our building. While we appreciate these measures have been taken, this is clearly not enough as we are still receiving a large enough number of positive cases to be labeled as a building. There was not just a small outbreak but a large one,” the letter read.

As of January 1, clerical staff have been notified of more than 29 reported COVID-19 cases in their building, according to the letter.

After county employee cases spiked to more than 1,000 in January 2021, they fell to a double-digit low in June, but start climbing again in August.

Orange County Employees Union General Manager Charles Barfield said Wednesday he has scheduled to meet with county officials about worker concerns later that afternoon.

In an email, Barfield called it “alarming” that 37 county facilities have outbreaks of COVID-19 and that the county’s contact tracing efforts appear to be stalled.

“County employees, particularly within the Social Services Administration (the county’s largest agency), are demanding swift corrective action to keep them safe. OCEA members are scared and worried, but they continue to serve county residents every day,” Barfield said.

In a prepared statement, Kim noted steps the county has taken to protect employees in the workplace, such as providing face masks and hand sanitizer, modifying the office, and allowing employee access. “when prudent and appropriate”.

However, he said: “We cannot shut down the services we provide, especially those that are critical to the safety, security, health and welfare of the citizens we serve. serve.

“I always welcome county staff input on how we can make things better,” he said, “and appreciate the work they provide our residents.”