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USA Operations Centers Infection Control & Infection Management May 2017
As this policy is reviewed, please note the following State/Area for which exceptions exist:
Minnesota
Early identification of a serious communicable disease such as epidemic influenza is essential to contain the disease and limit exposure. The Infection Control and Exposure Management Plan defines the roles and responsibilities of those individuals key to the identification and containment process, and provides them with an action plan.
A communicable disease is an infectious illness that can be transferred through direct contact with an affected individual, breathing in airborne viruses and bacteria, contact with infected blood and other body fluids, or contact with a contaminated surface or object. Other infectious diseases can be contracted from a vector such as a mosquito. Examples of communicable diseases include Influenza, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, Measles, Pertussis, West Nile Virus, and Zika.
For the purposes of this policy the term “employee” may refer to a Joyner employee or an external associate contracted to provide services at a Joyner facility. If an external associate, collaboration with the sourcing vendor may be required.
Infection Control and Exposure Management Team The Infection Control and Exposure Management team should be knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. Members of the infection control and exposure management team include:
Impacted employees' supervisors
Safety & Compliance Services (S&I)
Human Resources & Employee Care (HREC)
Human Resources Executives
Third Party Medical Director
Public Affairs
Communications
Impacted Executives
Legal Services
Local Administrative Services
Corporate Administrative Services - Workplace Protection
Initial Awareness At the first indication of a possible communicable disease outbreak in the country or world or a communicable disease exposure in the workplace, the HREC will work with a Medical Analysts will research the disease and provide educational materials/instructions to S&I Services.
If appropriate, the Joyner Medical Director, the Medical Analysts, and Corporate HR Communications will develop communications for Management, Human Resources, and/or affected employees. This communication will provide details regarding the disease itself, instructions regarding potential impact on business functions, instructions regarding non-essential travel, and quarantine guidelines.
Action Plan - Employee has probable, suspected or diagnosed infection
See the “Communication Strategy Plan” and “Notification Checklist” at the end of this chapter.
It is likely the employee will first contact his/her supervisor. It is the supervisor's responsibility to contact S&I immediately.
Note: If the supervisor is notified of the potential infection outside standard work hours, the supervisor should contact Human Resources & Employee Care who will contact the Joyner Medical Director or S&I Supervisor.
S&I will notify Human Resources & Employee Care and the Medical Analysts by phone or email. They will confirm the diagnosis with the treating physician and/or local Public Health Department. They will also contact the local Public Health Department for any special instructions.
HREC, S&I and the employee's management will determine the names of employees who may have been exposed to the affected employee. Human Resources and S&I will then contact the exposed employee(s) to discuss the condition, symptoms to watch for, quarantine guidelines, and requirements for return to work. An employee who has probable, suspected, or a diagnosed infection may be required to provide medical clearance from a qualified health care professional before returning to work. S&I will contact any exposed employee prior to the end of the quarantine period to determine if a medical release is necessary. Criteria for who needs medical clearance will be determined by the Medical Director in collaboration with the Health Department when involved.
It may be appropriate to notify employees in the office or area where the situation exists. This decision should be made jointly between the Medical Director, impacted Executives, and HR Executive. The affected employee's medical privacy should be considered when making this decision. Corporate Human Resources Communications, the Medical Director and the Medical Analysts will be responsible for developing the communication.
If an entire office is quarantined, Human Resources should contact the impacted Executives to discuss how to continue providing service to customers during the quarantine period. Business continuity plans should be followed.
Communication Strategy If written communications are desired, approval must first be obtained from the departments listed below. The departments listed in "Developed by" will draft the documents.
General Information about Infectious disease incident Approved by: Medical Director and HR Executive Developed by: Medical Director, Medical Analysts, and Corporate HR Communications
Notification to employees of an infectious disease incident Approved by: Impacted Executives, impacted Human Resources management, and HR Executive Developed by: Medical Director, Medical Analysts, and Corporate HR Communications
Media Notification
Approved by: Impacted Executives, local and Corporate HR Communications and Public Affairs Developed by: Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.
All employees are asked to report to S&I Services or management (if S&I is unavailable) if a potential workplace exposure to a serious communicable disease has occurred or could occur in the following situations:
Employee is diagnosed with a serious communicable disease such as Tuberculosis (TB), Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Smallpox, Avian Flu, etc.
Employee was previously exposed to a person with a serious communicable disease and is potentially contagious and/or is exhibiting symptoms of the illness.
Employee recently traveled to a location where there is an outbreak of a serious communicable disease and currently does not feel well and/or is exhibiting symptoms of the disease.
Employee has been quarantined by the Public Health Department due to a known exposure to a serious communicable disease.
Employees may be asked to provide a release from their treating physician or the Public Health Department prior to return to work. In some cases, the Joyner Medical Director will also review the release and determine if the employee is safe to return to work.
This information will be kept confidential to the extent reasonably possible, but full confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
The supervisor should immediately contact S&I Services when notified of a possible communicable disease situation. If the notification is after hours, the supervisor should contact Human Resources.
It is important to identify all the employees who may have been exposed to the affected employee. The supervisor will work with S&I and HREC to identify those individuals.
The supervisor should work with S&I Services to educate the remaining employees in the department about the condition - what symptoms to watch for, what the incubation period is, how the condition is transmitted, etc.
Human Resources will assist S&I Services in the initial notification processes. They will be responsible for making sure impacted Executives, Public Affairs, Corporate Human Resources Communications, and Human Resources Executive are informed of the situation when appropriate.
Human Resources will work with the employee's supervisor and S&I to identify individuals who may have been exposed to the affected employee. S&I will follow the direction of the Public Health Department and the Joyner Medical Director to determine which individuals were exposed. With S&I, Human Resources will contact those employees and advise of any need for quarantine, absence coding, benefits issues, etc. PTO or another leave should be granted to exposed employees who must be quarantined. PTO and Cigna approved STD may be used by an employee with probable, suspected or a diagnosed infection.
Human Resources should contact the impacted Executives and S&I to determine whether any communications should be sent and to whom. The request will be escalated to the Medical Director and Medical Analysts who along with Corporate Human Resources Communications will be responsible for developing communications, when appropriate.
Should an entire office be placed in quarantine, Human Resources will work with the impacted Executives to determine how to continue providing service to customers. Business continuity plans should be followed.
Safety & Insurance Services (S&I) Safety & Insurance Services will coordinate the initial notification and education processes.
They will:
Notify Human Resources management and the Medical Analysts.
Contact the employee's health care provider and/or local Public Health Department to confirm the diagnosis and determine if there are special guidelines for handling the situation.
Work with the employee's supervisor and Human Resources to identify those employees who may have been exposed to the affected employee. The Public Health Department and the Joyner Medical Director will give direction on how to identify exposed employees.
Contact the exposed employees to explain the symptoms to watch for and the quarantine guidelines.
Educate the employee's non-exposed coworkers about the condition, if warranted.
Collaborate with Administrative Services and the local Loss Prevention Specialist/Technician regarding cleaning, air quality, etc.
Keep in contact with the affected and exposed employees throughout their absences.
Contact any exposed employee(s) prior to the end of the quarantine period to determine if a medical release to return to work is required. Employee Health Services will require a medical release prior to allowing an employee with probable, suspected, or a diagnosed infection back to work as directed by the Medical Director.
Medical Director and Medical Analysts The Medical Director and Medical Analysts are responsible for researching the condition, monitoring information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), providing education and support to Safety & Insurance Services, and assisting in the development of communications. They will also keep Human Resources Executive informed of the situation and will work with Corporate Human Resources Communications to develop necessary written communications.
Public Affairs / Communications Public Affairs will handle media inquiries. Human Resources is responsible for keeping local Public Affairs informed about the situation. If an incident occurs at a location, other than at Corporate locations, local Public Affairs should inform Corporate HR Communications and Public Affairs.
Communications Corporate Communications will assist in the development of necessary communications with local Communications or Public Affairs.
Administrative Services Administrative Services will be responsible for cleaning, air quality issues, etc. to prevent the possible spread of illness. Safety & Insurance Services will collaborate with Administrative Services leadership and Loss Prevention staff based on directives from the Medical Director as well as the Health Department, when involved.
Corporate Incident Response Team
In some situations, the Corporate Incident Response Team may be activated to assist when many employees and/or locations are impacted. Members include HR Executive, the Medical Director, Medical Analyst(s), and representatives from Administrative Services – Workplace Protection and Security, Legal, Public Affairs, and leadership from the impacted department(s). They can provide subject matter expertise, insight, guidance and assistance from initial response through resolution.
State Exceptions
Minnesota:
In accordance with Minnesota law, Joyner does not discharge, discipline, threaten, or penalize an employee, or otherwise discriminate in the work terms, conditions, location, or privileges of the employee because the employee has been in isolation or quarantine or has assumed responsibility for care of an individual who has been in isolation or quarantine.
Resource Tools
Notification Checklist In the event of an infectious disease incident, it is important that all interested or impacted parties be notified. The following workflow checklist may be used.
_____ Supervisor contacts S&I Services. _____ S&I Services contacts HR. _____ S&I Services contacts Medical Analysts.
_____ Medical Analysts advise the Medical Director and Corporate HR Executive. _____ HR contacts the impacted Executives. _____ HR contacts local Public Affairs, if necessary. _____ HR contacts HR Communications, if necessary. _____ Corporate HR Executive or Medical Director advises Chairman's Council.
Contact List
Infection Control and Exposure Management Team