No one has asked me this question, but I suspect that some
of you are wondering how long staff will continue to be paid now that the
libraries are closed until further notice. I cannot provide you with certainty,
but I think I can provide some reassurance. You are all currently being
paid at your regular rate of pay for your regular number of hours. If you
are not assigned enough work to work your regular number of hours, the
remaining hours are being paid as administrative leave. (Please continue
to be diligent about tracking and reporting your hours worked.)
Under the recent Families
First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), all staff are entitled to two weeks
of paid sick time (separate from your regularly accrued sick time) for absences
related to COVID-19 between April 1 and December 31, 2020. We are
currently determining how this new benefit will be incorporated into use of
administrative leave and regular accrued sick and annual leave.
I do not expect any problems continuing employees’ pay and
benefits if the libraries are closed through the end of April or into
May. But, I am aware that months of closure combined with economic
turmoil could result in funding reductions that would impact our ability to
compensate staff. I do not say this to alarm you, but to be transparent.
Back to the reassuring part. Forsyth County
Government is our primary funding source. In recent meetings, the
commissioners were clearly committed to the continuation of pay and benefits
for County employees, so I believe that they would continue funding for library
staff during this state of emergency. The funds for personnel are in the
County and Library budgets, contingent upon revenues being received.
Again, I can’t provide certainty, but I can assure you that everyone wants us
to come out of this crisis with a full staff that is ready to resume library
services.
What can you do to help? Please look for
opportunities to continue to serve our patrons remotely and to demonstrate the
importance of library services during this time. Thank you to the staff
who came to this morning’s online chat and shared ideas for serving and
advocating for our patrons.
Please have a good weekend practicing social distancing and self care.
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