University leadership answers COVID-19 questions during second virtual town hall meeting

Ohio University hosted its second virtual town hall meeting on Microsoft Teams for more than 250 supervisors and planning unit leaders on April 9.

Ken Johnson, D.O., chief medical affairs officer at OHIO and executive dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine; Colleen Bendl, chief human resources officer, and Dr. Nicole Pennington, executive dean of regional higher education and dean of the Southern Campus, were the featured presenters.

During the meeting, the trio shared the latest happenings and best practices for dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The participants were able to ask questions at the end of the formal presentation.

Dr. Johnson provided an update on the coronavirus, noting that Ohio’s peak is predicted to be significantly lower than we originally expected as a result of social distancing. He stressed that the Ohio University community must continue to practice physical distancing and other preventive measures, including wearing masks in public.

Dr. Johnson also highlighted the University’s new wellness website, which includes a wealth of resources on how to maintain health and self-care during remote learning and working.

Bendl gave an update on the newly implemented Families First Coronavirus Response Act and listed the six qualifying reasons an employee can receive paid sick leave or expanded FMLA Leave. She also presented policy clarification and guidance regarding employees’ rights and benefits throughout the meeting.

Dr. Pennington shared general recommendations for supervisors and outlined some of the specific screening actions/steps for supervisors to take when faced with possible COVID-19 exposure in the workplace. She also provided an update on the current COVID-19 situation at OHIO’s regional campuses.

These are a few of the questions addressed during the virtual meeting:

• What is the difference between common seasonal illnesses and COVID-19?
• If an employee reports to work with cold like symptoms but no fever, what should the supervisor do?
• If an employee is sent home, should meaningful work be provided?
• Are there any new treatments or detections for COVID-19?
• Can supervisors adjust their employees’ work schedules?
• Does an employee need accumulated sick time to take leave for COVID-19?
• Why are construction workers on campus not using social distancing?
• Does warm weather kill the virus?
• Will future COVID-19 vaccinations become required for employees?

To view the one-hour meeting, visit: https://ohiouniversity.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=48da1b78-baea-4345-a975-ab98010018d8