Gaslight COVID Policy

Gaslight Group COVID Policy Updated – Dec 21, 2021

COVID is rearing its ugly head yet again with a new spike and the arrival of the Omicron variant…. just in time for our busiest week of the year. 

Please read this entire message for updates on the Gaslight Group’s COVID policy. There is NEW information below.

MASKS:

At this time, we will not require those of you who are vaccinated to wear a mask, though as always, you are more than welcome to do so if it makes you feel more comfortable/safer.

As of July 27, 2021, all employees are required to provide proof of vaccination to your manager in order to remain unmasked in the building.  If you are vaccinated (whether you intend to wear a mask or not), please take a photo of your completed vaccine card (at least two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or one dose of the J& J) to your manager via private message. If we do not receive this photo by Jan 6th, we will assume that you are unvaccinated.

For those of you who are unvaccinated, you are requiring to wear a mask whenever you are in the building. 

VACCINATION:

If you’ve been following the news, you know that the new OSHA COVID vaccine mandate is slated to go into effect in early Jan. The mandate says that all employees of companies who have more than 100 employees but be vaccinated or submit weekly negative COVID tests.  The cost of the tests is fully the responsibility of the EMPLOYEE and must be submitted on the due date each week or the employee will be unable to work. This means that an unvaccinated employee must either go to a free testing site weekly (and hope that their results are returned in a timely manner) and submit those official results to their manager before being allowed to work OR submit the results of an at home/self-test to their manager weekly before being allowed to work (current cost of home tests is $25 for two tests). 

Obviously, our preference would be that you get vaccinated. If you chose not to do so, your first test result will be due on Jan 9th and must have been taken no earlier than Jan 6th. 

As you can imagine, weekly testing is going to be cumbersome to not only an unvaccinated employee, but your entire management team as well.  And that’s IF things go smoothly and you are able to get your weekly tests in a timely manner. Just one employee being denied access to their job because of a late result or missed test will not only impact that employee’s pay but will cause a negative ripple effect through the entire team. Please, if you are medically able, GET VACCINATED! 

DETAILS ON THE NEW POLICY:

  • If an employee is unvaccinated, they must wear a mask in the building at all times.
  • Each vaccinated employee must submit a photo of their completed vaccine card via photo to their manager no later than Jan 6th if they have not already done so.
  • If an employee has only one shot of either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine they do not have to test weekly, but they must wear a mask while in the building and must show proof of having gotten their second shot no later than 2 weeks after their first shot or by Jan 23rd, whichever is first. 
  • If an employee is unvaccinated, they must show proof of a negative test weekly. The test must have been taken no more than three days before the required weekly test results deadline.
  • The weekly test results deadline for submitted a negative test will be Wednesday of each week. 

POSTIVE CASES AND CLOSE CONTACT:

  • For a person infected with COVID 19 regardless of vaccine status:
    • You must Isolate:
      • You can be around others after:
        • 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
        • 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
        • Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving*
  • For vaccinate ppl who have been in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID 19:
    • People who are fully vaccinated do NOT need to quarantine after close contact (within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who had COVID-19 unless they have symptoms. However, fully vaccinated people should get tested 5-7 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms and they must wear a mask indoors in public for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.
    • A negative test result means you do not have to wear you mask any longer.
  • For unvaccinated ppl who have been exposed and are asymptomatic:
    • Quarantine if you have been in close contact (within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone who has COVID-19
      • What to do – You have two options
        • Stay home for 10 days without testing after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.  You may return to work on day 11 if you are still asymptomatic.
        • Get a test at least 5 days after your last exposure to the COVID 19 positive person.  If the test is negative, you may return to work on day 7 (2 days after receiving a negative test on day 5). The day of exposure is considered day zero (0).

In either scenario,

  • Watch for symptoms until 14 days after exposure.
    • Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
      • If possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.
      • If you develop symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact your local public health authority or healthcare provider.

We will always do what we feel is best to keep you and your guests safe, even if that means making changes frequently as new data presents itself.    If you have questions, please reach out to your manager in a private message.

Sincerely,

Your Senior Management Team

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: