Some Penn State employees worried about reporting to work amid coronavirus pandemic
Update: Following Gov. Tom Wolf’s Thursday evening announcement closing all “non-life-sustaining businesses,” all Penn State University Libraries locations will close, Penn State said in a Thursday night news release. University Libraries virtual library services and resources remain open and faculty and staff are available remotely to assist with Penn State academic and research needs.
In light of Penn State’s decision to suspend in-person classes for the rest of the spring semester, some employees required to report to campus are concerned with work they feel puts themselves and others at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus.
There are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Centre County. However, many Penn State students traveled back to campus over the weekend to retrieve belongings left in their residence halls and apartments after the university announced a three week-long switch to online classes.
Ellysa Stern Cahoy, a librarian and chair of the Penn State Library Faculty Organization, said her department is concerned with the risks associated with the public-facing aspects of library work.
In a letter signed by 81 employees of the Penn State Libraries and sent to the administration on Monday, the Library Faculty Organization Council urged Penn State to close all libraries across all campuses to the public. While Penn State Libraries modified its public hours on Wednesday to noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, Stern Cahoy said employees who work at the service desks still come in contact with people.
“Libraries employees who may be immunocompromised (or have immunocompromised family members) are put in a situation of having to work in an environment that may be harmful to them or make possibly unwanted medical disclosures to supervisors and other employees if locations are not closed,” said the letter.
“The sooner we can do this,” the letter continued, “the better, giving more opportunity for our Libraries faculty and staff to fully turn their attention toward providing the best remote services possible for our users.”
Libraries across Centre County and the state closed before Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement Monday that nonessential businesses in Pennsylvania should shut down or modify their services.
Hundreds of Penn State Technical Services employees at University Park, all of whom are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 8 union, are also required to report to campus to work. Spanning custodial staff, food services, housing, hospitality, trades, athletics, science research, transportation and more, many of these workers are unable to telecommute.
Josh Wirtz, who is a maintenance worker in utility for the Office of the Physical Plant, said that many employees are concerned that continuing to show up to work on campus will put their families at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. While the union is working hard to keep workers safe, he said, Penn State is meeting them with resistance.
With Penn State offering online-only classes for the rest of the semester, a mostly deserted campus and many employees working remotely, some technical services workers feel like the university is taking advantage of them.
“I think a lot of employees don’t understand why we’re still reporting to work when we serve faculty and staff, we serve students and they’re not there,” Wirtz said. He added, “We would like the same safety precautions afforded to us as well to be able to stay home.”
Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said the university will continue to provide “essential” services to the community.
“Vital research projects must continue, the maintenance of animal and research facilities must be upheld, and the University remains committed to assisting the few students who remain in State College for various personal reasons, including some students in on-campus housing who have no other housing option,” he said in an email Thursday. “The university must continue to work with these individuals to address their needs. University Health Services also remains open and is treating students by appointment only.”
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 is an unprecedented situation, Wirtz said he would like to see the university respond as if it were operating during a snowstorm shutdown. When Penn State closes for a snow day, he said, nonessential employees may stay home and are paid regular wages. Essential employees must report to work, but receive extra “comp” time to be used for vacation, sick days or personal time off.
Right now, Penn State is operating under a normal schedule, despite students and most faculty and staff not returning to campus.
DuBois said the university will work with staff who would have difficulties telecommuting on a case-by-case basis.
“(We) are taking into very serious consideration the health and financial well-being of our employees. At this time, there are no plans to implement furloughs or layoffs,” he said.
He also said student library users are being encouraged to submit all their requests for titles online at least one business day in advance of arrival.
On Thursday, Penn State confirmed two students who had been traveling abroad tested positive for the virus. Neither had returned to any Penn State campus.
As of noon on Thursday, Pennsylvania had 185 reported COVID-19 cases in 22 counties and one death.
Employees said they are not trying to get out of working, but instead want to be treated like their safety and the safety of their families matters.
“The biggest frustration is we feel like (Penn State is) taking advantage of a loophole and not closing the campus,” Wirtz said.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 4:50 PM.
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