All,
It is March 30, 2020. Welcome to the beginning of another week in which we work together to overcome the circumstances we find ourselves in thanks to a world-wide pandemic.
Last week was very challenging for all of us due to the continued spread of COVID-19 and the effect of actions taken by Governors in GA and PA as well as local counties and cities where we live and work. Not to mention customers being affected as well. Know that we are attempting to follow, CDC, WHO, OSHA, local health department guidelines as we continue to try to operate our facilities. Many of the government orders and guidelines have portions or large sections which are not clear at all.
If a government order is delivered and we don’t have appropriate time to understand or implement it properly, we have chosen to stop operations in whole or in part out of concern for the safety of our employees. We are then engaging legal counsel, internal and external resources to appropriately make decisions and take actions. We are taking a slow but sure approach to restarting operations.
We have been able to continue to ship product to customers from both GA and PA. In GA, we are restarting Hot Melt this morning. In PA, we are restarting some Inspection and Packing today to process WIP rolls. In GA and PA, this week we will be evaluating and putting procedures in place to restart certain presses by Monday next week. Certain crews may be asked to return this week. Your managers will contact you as necessary. With the constantly changing situations we are dealing with, we will be using your immediate supervisors to keep you informed about work schedules.
We fully realize you are concerned with the risks associated in continuing to operate our business. Both to supply our products to customers who are stating they provide “essential” services/products and to allow us to generate income for keeping TIA healthy so we can retain our employees.
OSHA has four risk categories for workplaces and TIA is in the lowest risk category. We are in a lower class risk category than workplaces which interface with the general public (grocery store, restaurant, retail sales, schools, etc.). We have further reduced risk by eliminating almost all visitors and screening any visitors in the rare case it is necessary. We have further reduced risk by having as many people as possible work from home and eliminated business related travel of any type. We continue to implement procedures and protocols according to CDC, WHO, OSHA, local health department guidelines as they are issued, updated, ordered, etc.
In addition, you are a critical part of reducing risk as we instruct you to follow the guidelines and best practices at work. A brief list of the key practices (see full guidelines which we have published and distributed):
- If you are sick, stay home
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms, call your doctor and call HR
- If someone you have been around outside work has COVID-19 or was told to quarantine by a doctor, call HR
- Cover any coughs and sneezes to avoid projecting particles into the air
- Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds
- Do not touch your face, mouth and eyes
- Do not eat without first washing your hands.
- Stay 6 feet apart from each other when talking, sitting and working together
- If a job task requires less than 6 feet separation and it cannot be done another way, ask your supervisor for approval and you will be instructed to use a face mask, safety glasses and gloves during the task. This protects the other person from accidental coughs and sneezes.
- Disinfect commonly used items (soap and water disinfects too)
- Use hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available
- Gloves are readily available for anyone to use.
- Masks right now are limited in supply and will be reserved for those who must complete a task within the 6 foot rule.
The other huge concern has been centered on pay for employees. We have continued to pay all employees up to 40 hrs even if they are not working or partially working. Laws are being enacted or will be enacted to provide both employers and employees/citizens financial aid. The latest was passed late Friday which we are currently evaluating. Starting Wednesday, one of the laws take effect called Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Please see the posted information about FFCRA for more details. In the next couple of days, we will provide details on our pay policy going forward.
One more thing we are doing is enhancing employee communication by launching a website you may access for updates. The website is http://52.188.109.27/ You will see a main page as well as a specific page for GA and PA plus a link to our normal corporate website. For more information, please contact your supervisor or manager.
Lastly, I want to thank you for your dedication, understanding, patience and perseverance as we work through this very difficult time together. We are facing the challenges thrown at us and navigating our way forward step by step. I encourage you to keep the faith and to be grateful for all we have in spite of the negativity out there! I remain grateful and impressed to be working with you!
God bless us all,
Bob