Identification of Essential Critical Workforce During COVID-19 Response
Posted on 03/23/2020 at 09:05 AM by Russell Samson
On March 19, 2020, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued what it emphasized was an advisory list identifying essential critical infrastructure workers during the COVID-19 response. It specifically disclaimed that “is not, nor should it be considered to be, a federal directive or standard in and of itself.” Rather the list was to assist State, local, tribal, and territorial governments in implementing and executing response activities in communities under their jurisdiction.
The list is available here. Employers may be interested in seeing whether their employees or operations might be perceived as essential or critical during this pandemic.
On March 22, 2020, the Iowa Department of Public Health posted an “includes but is not limited to” list of Iowa’s Essential Services Personnel. The list is much shorter than the federal list—at least for now. The IDPH site also has posted “Isolation Guidance for Essential Services Personnel.”
Finally, the IDHP has issued a number of other publications about the COVID-19 pandemic, all accessible through this web page. On the landing page for Iowa businesses the following specifics can be found, among others:
- General guidance for businesses in FAQ form
- Guidance for the food industry
The Centers for Disease Control has also posted information helpful to business.
New information and new content is being posted constantly. If you can’t find what you need, keep googling and it will likely turn up soon.
Categories: Russ Samson, Employment & Labor Law
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