PPA COVID-19 Employee Policy

The Mayor announced the closure of all non-essential businesses in Philadelphia county beginning at 5:00 pm on March 16, 2020.

Beginning on Wednesday, March 18th, and until further notice, all PPA offices will be closed except to personnel designated as “essential.”  Non-essential employees will be given “E time” during this period.

The following guidelines will apply during this closure.  These guidelines are intended to help ensure critical services continue.

1. Departments will designate which personnel are essential and the PPA will reserve the right to change an employee’s designation at any point during the closure.  It is possible that the closure may need to be extended based upon changing circumstances related to the spread of COVID-19 in Philadelphia.  Staff and functions deemed essential may expand or contract depending on the length of the closure and services needed.
2. Essential services may include (but not be limited to) the following:
   1. Public health, safety and welfare;
   2. Maintenance
   3. Any function to support the response to COVID-19 outbreak
   4. Finance
   5. IT
   6. Procurement
   7. Ticketing, Towing, and Communications
   8. Any other function that, within the department’s discretion, is critical to the continuity of operations within the department.
3. Essential personnel required to report will be compensated, as noted in the collective bargaining agreement or the employee manual.
4. In the event of an insufficient number of essential staff volunteers, assignments will be made by title in an inverse seniority order.
5. Essential personnel should perform work remotely, if feasible.  To the extent possible, essential personnel who must report to work, should do so on a staggered basis (alternating shifts or days as assigned by the department head).  For essential personnel conducting work remotely, please ensure they have the necessary access and tools to any systems they may need to access.
6. Please keep daily time/work logs records for your work done remotely.

Self-Quarantine – We continue to emphasize the need to self-quarantine as the primary method of reducing exposure risk.  Essential employees who meet any of the following criteria must notify their appointing authority or designee immediately and will be required to self-quarantine for a period of two weeks (14 days):

• Have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough, shortness of breath) who are being evaluated as a person under investigation for COVID-19;
• have traveled or live in the same household as someone who has traveled (within the past two weeks) to a Tier 2 and above (upon return to US) as defined by the CDC; or,
• have come into close contact with an individual who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Essential employees who have received a diagnosis of COVID-19 should follow the direction of their health care provider and quarantine directions of the Department of Public Health.  This may require self-quarantine for longer than the required 14 days, and requires confirmatory negative tests before an employee will be cleared to return to work.

At-Risk Employees– Essential employees with a medically-documented greater risk of harm from the virus, such as those with compromised immune systems, may use accrued leave time to stay home, including sick time. Where appropriate and approved by their supervisor, the employees may work from home for some or all of the time period directed by their physician.

Physicians’ Notes– The PPA is not requiring notes during the 14-day quarantine period, we recommend that you contact your health care provider either electronically or by phone to discuss your situation.  Essential employees must complete the full quarantine period and may not return to work prior to the end of the quarantine period.

Sick Leave Policy– The PPA’s sick leave policies have been relaxed for illnesses, quarantines, and dependent care related to COVID-19.  Employees impacted by COVID-19 quarantines/illnesses may use accrued leave, including sick leave, for the entire two-week period without providing a sick note.  The PPA will advance employees without sick leave up to 10 days sick leave during the self-quarantine period as well as those considered “at-risk” as described above, upon written request.  All employees who are self-quarantined or a being tested for COVID-19, must report that information to the Human Resources (HR) Director Karen Hyers.

Thank you for all your work during these difficult times.  Please stay safe and healthy.