By Alan Barcelona
CSLEA President
FOP Lodge 77 President

Hello CSLEA members,

First and foremost on the minds of most of us is COVID-19, the Coronavirus.  We understand, given the nature of our jobs in public safety and service, there is much concern about exposure, possibly contracting the virus, what's being done in the workplace to protect us, what steps will be taken to assist us should we need to stay home to take care of ourselves or family members, or should schools and daycare centers close requiring parents to stay home to care for their children.

During this time of uncertainty, and  time in which we all need to perform our jobs as well do our part in keeping our families and communities as healthy as possible, CSLEA is in  communication with the governor's office, CalHR, our CSLEA directors, and site representatives.  We want to be sure that the proper steps are being taken to safeguard us as we work.  Please find below, CSLEA's letter to CalHR today concerning our CSLEA members.

Last week, CSLEA Chief Counsel Kasey Clark and I participated in a conference call with CalHR to discuss the state's efforts in combatting COVID19 as it pertains to our members.  Given that our jobs put us  on the front lines with the public, we want to make sure state agencies are taking appropriate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  I also spoke with the governor's office  this week and as we are all becoming increasingly aware, the situation is likely to get much worse before it gets better and we may see more changes in how we operate at home and at work.

CalHr recently provided  guidance to departments about telework arrangements and authorized time off (ATO), among other things.  That internal guidance was published by The Sacramento Bee State Worker and can also be found here.

Changes may continue to occur and CSLEA is making sure that we, as your voice,  are being consulted and updated.  Please take steps to keep you and your family as healthy as possible.  Below is some information from the Centers for Disease Control should you like to take a look at it.   In addition be sure to check the website of the county in which you live, for local updates, as well as the California Department of Public Health.