AuthorPPA Staff

The Philadelphia Parking Authority is actively and carefully monitoring the situation regarding COVID-19. The Authority is committed to maintaining the good health of all employees and strongly encourage prevention practices across our community.

The guidelines below provide up-to-date advice to our employees and align with the Authority’s policies in support of our safety goals. These guidelines will be regularly reviewed and updated as the situation unfolds.

We ask that you remain vigilant and obey all orders and directives issued by local and state agencies. In all cases, follow the instructions from your healthcare provider and regularly monitor the following agencies for up to date information and guidance:

• Philadelphia Department of Public Health https://www.phila.gov/services/mental-physical-health/environmental-health-hazards/covid-19/
• Pennsylvania Department of Health https://www.health.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
• Centers for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/We

Mental Health Services

The Philadelphia Parking Authority recognizes that our employees, their families and loved ones may be experiencing an extraordinary amount of stress at this time. The Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health has provided the following resources:

Mental Health Crisis
215-685-6440

Mental Health and Addiction Services (for people with and without insurance)
888-545-2600

Children’s Crisis Response Center
3300 Henry Avenue, Suite 3N
215-878-2600

National Suicide Prevention Hotline
800-273-8255
Veterans dial 1

Domestic Violence Hotline
866-723-3014

Homeless Outreach
215-232-1984

Intellectual disability Services
215-685-5900

HealthyMindsPhilly.org
Free, 24\7 online behavioral health screening, access to Mental Health First Aid trainings and resources.

COVID-19: WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms of the COVID-19 can include:

• Fever • Cough • Shortness of breath
  
  EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES
• Do not report to work if you are sick.
• Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, do not use your hands!
• Clean surfaces frequently, such as countertops, light switches, cell phones and other frequently touched areas.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Should you become sick, report your illness to your supervisor and Human Resources.
• Should someone in your household becomes sick, report the illness to your supervisor and Human Resources.
• Employees who appear to have acute respiratory illness symptoms (i.e. cough, shortness of breath) upon arrival to work or become sick during the day should be separated from other employees and be sent home immediately. Supervisors must keep Human Resources informed when a sick employee is sent home. Sick employees should cover their noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available).
• Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 must notify his/her supervisor and refer to CDC guidance to learn how to conduct a risk assessment of their potential exposure to remain health and not infect others. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html)
• If you have come in contact with Asymptomatic (show no signs of illness) People Exposed to COVID-19:
  • CDC does not recommend testing, symptom monitoring or special management for people exposed to asymptomatic (show no signs of illness) people with potential exposures to COVID-19 (such as in a household), i.e., “contacts of contacts;” these people are not considered exposed to COVID-19.

TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES

If you or someone in your household have recently returned from a high risk country determined to be Level 2 or above (such as Europe, the UK and Ireland, China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Iran), please adhere to the following guidelines:

Stay home if you are not feeling well.

1. Self-monitor for signs of fever, dry cough and trouble breathing
2. Call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) immediately if you become sick
3. Contact your doctor or ER prior to arriving so as not to overwhelm the healthcare system
4. Should the Authority be made aware that an employee has been confirmed positive, we will inform fellow employees of their possible exposure in the workplace; however, we must maintain the employee’s confidentiality as required by the ADA

CORONAVIRUS FAQ’s

How is COVID-19 Diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider can determine if your signs and symptoms are explained by other causes, or if there is reason to suspect you may have COVID-19. If laboratory testing is appropriate, your healthcare provider will work with health officials in your state, who in turn will work with CDC, to collect and test any clinical specimens for diagnosis.

How is COVID-19 Treated?

No vaccine or specific treatment for COVID-19 infection is available. Hospitals can provide supportive care for infected people.

What Should I Do if I Think I Have Been Exposed to or Infected With COVID-19?

Alert your healthcare provider immediately if you think you may be infected with COVID-19, including if you have been exposed to someone with the virus and have signs/symptoms of infection. Additionally, contact your supervisor to report your exposure. If you are experiencing symptoms, you should tell your healthcare provider about any recent travel to areas where COVID-19 is spreading.

If you believe you have been exposed on the job, alert your supervisor and human resources immediately.

I am Concerned About Exposure to a Coworker Who Seems Sick. Can I Insist That They be Sent Home?

If you have a concern about an employee who appears sick, speak to your supervisor. If the Authority’s management believes that an employee has symptoms associated with a communicable disease such as coronavirus, management, in consultation with Human Resources, may require the employee not to report to work and to use any available compensatory leave, sick leave, vacation leave.

Additionally, the Authority’s management should emphasize to employees the importance of staying home when sick, and employees that are required to stay home by the Authority should discuss leave options with Human Resources.

One of My Employees Looks Sick. What Should I Do?

The safety and well-being of our employees is our most important issue and prompt identification and isolation of potentially infectious individuals is a critical step in protecting workers and the public. All employees are strongly encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 if they suspect possible exposure. Where appropriate, supervisors should immediately isolate people who have signs or symptoms of COVID-19 and send them home immediately. Supervisors must also notify Human Resources.

If you think you are developing symptoms associated with COVID-19 and have reason to believe you have been exposed to the virus, the CDC recommends calling your doctor and/or the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. If you are sick, notify your supervisor and stay home. An employee told by a doctor or public health official that they should be under isolation due to illness should not report to work and should follow the Authority’s relaxed Sick Leave Policy when recording leave.

When an employee is quarantined, the employee shall be granted paid leave until the specified period of time ends or the employee becomes ill with the communicable disease, whichever comes first. The employee must provide proof of quarantine.

If you have reason to believe you have been exposed to the virus, the CDC recommends calling your doctor or Public Health department. An employee told by a Public Health official that they should be under quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19 but is not yet symptomatic should notify their supervisor about the quarantine directive.

How Long Do Infected Employees Need to Remain in Quarantine?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, people with COVID-19 can discontinue isolation under the following circumstances:
1. No fever for 72 hours (3 full days with no fever and no medications to stop the fever) AND
2. Other symptoms improved (cough, shortness of breath) AND
3. At least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

Should I be tested for COVID-19?

If you develop symptoms such as fever, cough, and/or difficulty breathing, and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider. Older patients and individuals who have severe underlying medical conditions or are immunocompromised should contact their healthcare provider early, even if their illness is mild. If you have severe symptoms, such as persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips of face, contact your healthcare provider or emergency room and seek care immediately. Your doctor will determine if you have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and whether you should be tested.

Using the CDC-developed diagnostic test, a negative result means that the virus that causes COVID-19 was not found in the person’s sample. In the early stages of infection, it is possible the virus will not be detected.

Can a Person Test Negative and Later Test Positive for COVID-19?

For COVID-19, a negative test result for a sample collected while a person has symptoms likely means that the COVID-19 virus is not causing their current illness.

Will I be Notified if Someone I Work With is Confirmed to Have Coronavirus?

Employees known to be exposed to an individual diagnosed with coronavirus will be notified that a case of coronavirus has been confirmed, but the Americans with Disabilities Act protects the identity and medical information of people with communicable diseases.

If I Contract Coronavirus While Working, Am I Eligible for Workers’ Compensation?

If you become ill and it is determined to be work-related in accordance with the Workers’ Compensation Act, the Workers’ Compensation Policy applies. If your illness is determined not to be work-related, the Authority’s Sick Leave Policy applies.

 

WHAT IS THE FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT?

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is federal law signed by President Donald Trump on March 18, 2020. The Act responds to the growing health and economic crises with provisions for paid sick leave, free COVID-19 testing and expanded unemployment benefits.

Free Testing

The legislation seeks to make testing for the coronavirus free to the public (without having to use deductibles or copayments). It includes a variety of waivers in order for testing costs to be covered by either insurance or government programs.

Paid Sick Leave

The bill establishes a federal emergency paid-leave benefits program to provide payments to some employees.

Unemployment Aid

The legislation boosts unemployment benefits, with nearly $1 billion in state grants to cover processing and paying unemployment insurance.

It also raises the amount of assistance to states with high unemployment for those who have exhausted benefits already.

Additional information on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act can be found at https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Families%20First%20Summary%20FINAL.pdf

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.

Dear Fellow Parking Authority Employees,

By now we all understand the seriousness and uncertainty surrounding the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The Philadelphia Parking Authority will continue to follow the guidance of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PHPD) and the Centers for Disease Control on how to most effectively, responsibly and safely conduct the business of the Authority.

As we continue to engage in planning and discussion around the impact of COVID-19, both in and around Philadelphia, please be advised of the following key areas:

Illness

Employees with symptoms of Covid-19 (fever, dry cough, shortness of breath) are asked to self-quarantine at home and seek medical evaluation of his or her condition. If you are caring for someone who has these symptoms, do not come to work. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is available to employees who are experiencing a serious health condition. Contact Human Resources for additional information concerning FMLA.

Sick leave policy will be relaxed in relation to Covid-19. Employees impacted under this policy may use accrued leave, including sick leave, for the entire two-week period without providing a doctor’s certification. Employees without sick leave will be advanced up to ten (10) days sick leave during the self-quarantine period. In keeping with CDC guidelines, employees who are required to self-quarantine or are sick with acute respiratory illness will not be required to present a doctor’s certification.

Business Travel and Community Outreach Meetings

After consulting with local and state health officials, all Authority business related travel out of the commonwealth is indefinitely cancelled.  

Similarly, all scheduled community meetings or group events are cancelled, or if administered by a 3^rd party, will not be attended by an Authority representative.

We will reexamine this directive regularly, taking into consideration the most up to date information and recommendations.  We acknowledge the impact of this measure as we take into consideration the safety, health and well-being of our employees, their families, and the public.

Personal Travel

Employees are urged to pay close attention to travel information posted by the United States Department of State. Several countries have been listed as places where a dangerous level of COVID-19 transfer has been confirmed.

Any Authority employee returning from a trip to a county identified on the State Department’s advisory list at Level 2 or higher, will not be permitted to return to work until 14 days after the employee has returned to the United States. You may use accrued time off during that time period. Similarly, employees living with a person who has recently returned from such a Level 2 Advisory county must also remain out of work for 14 days after that household member’s return to the United States.

We strongly urge you to reconsider travel plans to a Level 2 Advisory country. State Department advisories may be found at: 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Cleaning of Our Buildings and Vehicles

We continue to employ an elevated disinfection and cleaning program within our buildings. We will continue to increase the level and frequency of that cleaning and will begin to more regularly clean and disinfect the interior of our vehicles.

We ask for your assistance in terms of these cleaning efforts. You can help by keeping your own work area clean, including the use of cleaning products that are provided by the Authority in your work area, including disinfecting wipes and sprays.  

You can also help maintain a clean and safe work environment by helping to stop the spread of germs by:

• Remaining home from work if you are sick and visiting your doctor promptly.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Put your used tissue in a waste basket.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Remember to wash your hands with soap and water after coughing or sneezing.

We will continue to consult with PDPH, and reviewed information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to ensure that the protocols and procedures we are employing represent best practices and are effective against COVID-19.

Workplace Practices

In order to reduce the chance of spreading illness, it is recommended that we not “shake hands” at meetings. This may seem like a small issue, but it can make a big difference. So, please stop shaking hands.

Also, except when necessary for brief group meetings, such as roll call, no meeting conducted by Authority employees may include more than 10 people in attendance, in person. Employees should make use of conference calls and similar forms of group electronic communication methods.    

Meetings in Authority buildings with 3^rd parties, such as contractors or potential contractors or other members of the public are cancelled. Again, please take advantage of electronic forms of communication like tele conferencing to conduct meetings of this nature. 

Use of Accrued PTO

In the event you are required by Authority policies to remain out of work due to a travel advisory issue or in the event you are sick, the Authority will permit you to use any PTO (sick, vacation, etc.) that you have accrued, regardless of normal restrictions identified in a collective bargaining agreement or the Employee Manual, until further notice.

During this period, your use of accrued sick leave will not count against “Perfect Attendance” in terms of work history, sell back or other related employee benefits. 

Further Updates

We will continue to remain in contact with PDPH and adhere to evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control regarding best practice for the control and response to CORVID-19. You should continue to monitor our website at www.philapark.org for updates and to review previous communications regarding this issue.

Please free to call our Senior Director of Human Resources, Karen Hyers, at 215-683-9705 with specific questions so that they may be promptly addressed.

Sincerely,

Scott Petri
Executive Director