Are we really saying Alabama is being the reasonable one? It's Alabama we aren't supposed to be the reasonable one. I mean we aren't Florida or Louisiana, but jeez.
We have had the governor step in on a few things like the state wide mask mandate and guidelines for reopening, but we had the guidelines and then it was on the counties to follow. I would say my county has been a little more strict, but we are also a bigger city (don't laugh it's big for AL) so easier to spread and overwhelm hospitals. After the initial summer peak, we changed the guidance given from how many positive cases to hospital occupancy. Had to go through another minor shut down at the holidays for about 6 weeks
Schools have been open with proper safety measures since September full time. Hybrid at the holidays. The only outbreak at the schools was in highschool and it was the football team before they even went back.
Masks will be worn at school until the summer, but they removed the plexiglass from the desks.
Yup sounds like it. We’ve been middle ground between the free for all of FL and the tight reins of CA. Since school has not been a transmission point here I would have liked to see the kids in school more here. But otherwise we’ve made every effort to be open when we can and tighten it up when cases spike.
Our office is allowing voluntary in-person work. Following the rules of our city, which state masks are required indoors. We can remove masks if we’re alone in our offices with the door shut.
Masks still required at school for the 4 weeks we have left.
Our county is the only county in the area that's mandating that all employers collect the information. It is *not* required that they collect it from people who will continue to work remote (they won't get fined if they don't collect the info), but it's "highly encouraged."
I just.. have so many problems with this and it makes me feel wonkadoodle since so many people don't seem to care.
ETA: I don't have any reason to have an issue with my employer knowing I've had the vaccine. I just think it's a huge overstep of the government. So in some ways, I don't care, but in other ways, that stem beyond just this one area, I care a lot.
k3am, I'm feeling the same way. Fully vaccinated individuals can go masks only if they show proof to the business that they are vaccinated. So I have to ask my client to show proof (vaccine card) to allow them to take their masks off to meet with me. It just feels very wrong and drags me back to holocaust history lessons from high school.
Before this new rule business that were in person like school couldn't ask if a staff member vaccinated or not.
Post by mustardseed2007 on May 20, 2021 12:17:40 GMT -5
186momx, There wasn't a federal rule that said you couldn't ask. Was there a state rule where you live? It's absolutely legal to ask under the federal laws.
The CDC says it is safe to be without a mask if you aren't vaccinated. Therefore, if everyone is following the CDC, wearing your mask becomes your scarlet letter in its own right. Which is definitely a bit squicky but also allows vaccinated people the freedom to be safe and not wear a mask for the sake of the people who are not safe to be without one, so I understand the logic. But asking someone to show that they are actually vaccinated and therefore safe to be with you without a mask is perfectly legal.
There was some wonder if OSHA would require it. Because if the people who aren't in masks aren't vaccinated, they are potentially putting themselves at risk. And you are supposed to save an employee from themselves. It's why you must require employees to tie off an a roof whether they want to or not. Or wear eye protection while welding even if they say they don't need to because they're a great welder.
HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, I would rather not be responsible for managing someone else's behavior. I would instead like to know that I can have a rule that you must be vaccinated to not wear a mask and then expect employees to follow it and not have to ask for and handle their vaccine card.
mustardseed2007, I don't think so. The rules seem to update multiple times a day on what is okay and what isn't okay. I know OSHA passed a mask mandate for business at the beginning of the month. Since then there has been lots of push to have them revoke it and follow CDC. I don't know if this has happened or not. I've only run into the grocery store and DD's gym and neither place has changed their rules. We've talked with our neighboring business and at this time we are all asking you to wear a mask to enter. My neighbors are an eye doctors office and a insurance office that specializes in health insurance. We got an email yesterday saying that masks were required at all times for everyone at DD's meet tomorrow and that USAG hasn't changed their policy.
Post by mustardseed2007 on May 20, 2021 12:47:10 GMT -5
Federal osha has said that they are updating their guidance in accordance with CDC guidelines, and until that is complete they ask that all employers refer to the CDC guidelines on how to handle masks.
It leaves open the question as to whether federal OHA will require this "matching" of vaccine cards to those who are allowed to go "unmasked".
But some states have their own OSHA and have issued their own rules like the mask mandates.
Post by librarychica on May 20, 2021 13:06:34 GMT -5
186momx, maybe I misunderstood, but did you just compare checking vaccination status to the Holocaust? Because that’s some crazy nonsense.
My employer is asking voluntarily for planning purposes. I work in manufacturing. I don’t think necessarily that everyone should have to ask for proof every time, but if I worked in the county health department I could see how that would be helpful information to have, especially for industries such as manufacturing where you have large groups of people not able to easily distance.
Post by sandandsea on May 20, 2021 13:23:41 GMT -5
I think my employer is following someone’s guidance (I can’t keep up) so there is a mask requirement if not vaccinated and no mask if vaccinated. So I think they’ll ask for vaccination information but I have no idea how that works or who will enforce that. And it feels icky to request it. I mean we don’t ask for measles vaccination information but I’d hope my colleagues are vaccinated. It seems weird to do it for one vaccine and not all. We are opening the office for those that want to return in June but aren’t requiring it yet. I’m not going back until we can get after school care options.