Jan 14, 2021
The COVID-19 was the mid-year kickoff. In early spring, the state of New York enacted rules that shutdown majority of the private sector for business allowing only essential employees to retain working unless working from home or in a safe environment. Thousands were laid off or furloughed. As the pandemic continued local communities reduced staffing and there was question upon why and how.
In discussion with the supervisor, I questioned why our essential employees and non-essential employees statuses changed and who were essential vs non-essential. The town does not have a VPN which limits working from home. Plus the town is more of a hands-on atmosphere and each municipality is different. The response given by the supervisor was along the lines; we did what the county told us to do. Addionally, the board requested written documentation of rules and procedures to protect our employees and the public.