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COVID-19: FAQs for San Mateo County Members

We have Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) specifically for healthcare workers, visit: https://www.seiu521.org/protecthealthcareworkers/

We have reached an agreement with the County of San Mateo on an emergency COVID-19 policy. The County Supervisors voted to approve the policy during their Board meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

We will be putting out a statement and details of how we led the charge to get the County to where we are now as soon as possible. Though it has not been an easy process, and maybe this shouldn’t be a surprise to us. The policy contains many provisions that will provide some much-needed relief to our members, but it’s not nearly as generous as other counties, and not what we should expect from one of the wealthiest, and supposedly caring, counties in the country. We remain deeply concerned about the situation for our co-workers in San Mateo County, the commitments made, and how these were broken.

We will continue fighting for improvements in working conditions, workplace safety, and access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The fight is far from over, and we need all of us to get involved so that we can win a better policy. To get more involved, reach out to your worksite member leader or union organizer.

Here are a few highlights of the agreement our coalition of four unions (SEIU, AFSCME, CNA and UAPD) reached with the County:

  • Expanded scope of tele-working agreements and flexing hours;
  • New language around the use of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) emergency paid sick leave, County’s accrued sick leave, and FFCRA emergency paid FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) leave;
  • Increased job security and access to leave balances;
  • Workplace accommodations for at-risk populations;
  • Increased sick bank for anyone who contracts COVID-19;
  • A 30-minute leave credit for every hour worked at a worksite by an Essential Worker or a Disaster Service Worker (DSW);
  • New leave loan language for any person who has run out of leave hours;
  • A removal of the leave cap to accommodate new leave credits and times.
  • When we fight and are united together, we win!

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Our labor coalition of four unions (SEIU, AFSCME, CNA and UAPD) will continue working together to make sure our members, the County’s leadership, and the public all know that the County was slow to act, and that this policy could do so much more for our members who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Even if the County doesn’t fully appreciate the work you all are doing, know that we do and that’s why we fought so hard for all of our co-workers.

That said, this process has brought forward a new labor coalition that is getting stronger by the day. All of us are committed to keeping this going and in doing so, we know we will see many successes in the future.

We will be having further discussions surrounding workplace safety and our return-to-work plan when the shelter-in-place order is amended.

If you are sent home, you should not be required to use your vacation, comp, sick time, etc. Report this to your organizer immediately.

  • For Child Support, Controllers, County Counsel, Department of Housing, First 5, Human Resources, Human Services Agency, Library, Planning, Probation, Risk Management, SAMCERA Retirement, and Tax Collector, contact Aileen.Vlahakos@seiu521.org. 
  • For Assessor/Recorder’s/Elections Department, Public Works, and Sheriff’s Department, contact Sandra.Floyd@seiu521.org.
  • For County Manager’s Office, Health, ISD, and Revenue Services, contact Tizoc.Arenas@SEIULocal521.org 

  • If you’re unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim. DI provides short-term benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50-$1,300 a week.
  • For guidance on the disease, visit the California Department of Public Health website.

If you believe you may have been infected while performing work, you should fill out a worker’s compensation claim immediately (within 24-hours) upon becoming ill and/or being tested positive for COVID-19. For guidance on completing a worker’s compensation claim, please visit the County’s Worker’ Compensation Procedure website.

If your employer reduces your hours or shuts down operations due to COVID-19, SEIU 521 will immediately seek to have everyone on “paid release time.” However, this may take time to sort it out. Don’t wait! You can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim. UI provides partial wage replacement benefit payments to workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced, through no fault of their own. Workers who are temporarily unemployed due to COVID-19 and expected to return to work with their employer within a few weeks are not required to actively seek work each week. However, they must remain able and available and ready to work during their unemployment for each week of benefits claimed and meet all other eligibility criteria. Eligible individuals can receive benefits that range from $40-$450 per week.

For a list of commonly asked and answered questions about various disability, paid leave, and unemployment insurance benefits, please visit the FAQ webpage for the California Employment Development Department.

  • The County defines “essential” employees as those who are engaged in protecting public safety, health, and welfare – and those needed in order to meet legally mandated requirements (e.g. canvassing election) whose work must be performed on-site, as well as employees who provide essential services to other employees and citizens. Management has the right to determine who are “essential” workers at any given time and assign them to work. 
  • Agencies determine whether or not an employee is deemed “essential” and therefore expected to report to work during the COVID-19 emergency.  If our union has reason to believe that these judgments are being made in an arbitrary or unfair manner, the situation should be brought to the attention of your steward or organizer immediately, and SEIU 521 will investigate. Management has the right to determine who are “essential” workers at any given time and assign them work. Check this pamphlet for more information on the California Emergency Service Act regarding Disaster Service Workers (DSWs): https://bit.ly/cadisasterservice

  • For essential employees who have a medical condition (e.g. compromised immune system, pregnancy, etc.) which makes it inadvisable for them to be exposed to the risk of COVID-19, your manager should be advised immediately so that the county can consider their situation on a case-by-case basis.  Options including allowing the employee to work remotely or be placed on Paid Administrative Leave (PAL) will be considered. If deemed “essential” and the employee has health issues, the employee must exhaust their accrued sick leave prior to being placed on PAL.
  • You may be eligible for Disability Insurance (this is an evolving situation and eligibility still remains unclear) and can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim. DI provides short-term benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50-$1,300 a week.  If you have an underlying health condition and are not eligible for Disability Insurance, you may opt to take family leave and stop working (and stop being paid). However, anyone in this situation should apply for Unemployment Insurance on the basis that this decision was involuntary. You can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim and EDD representatives will decide if you are eligible.
  • If you live with someone in these categories, you may have to use vacation or comp time to stay at home. SEIU 521 member leaders are bargaining with the county to ensure that all accruals used for this purpose will be refunded to you but this will take some time to get resolved (assuming we can) and you’ll need to do what you can for now. We’re working at the Federal and State levels as well to address these and other COVID-19- related situations.
  • If you’re unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim. PFL provides up to six weeks of benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages because they need time off work to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50-$1,300 a week.

  • Essential workers may find child care services on the Carina website: https://www.carina.org/childcare
  • For essential employees who have childcare needs that interfere with their ability to come to work, the County will seek to accommodate them by means such as providing qualified alternative childcare, schedule adjustments, allowing remote work, etc.). Your manager should be contacted to assist whenever needed to facilitate this process. 
  • If your child is at home due to a school/daycare closure and you need to miss work to care for them, you may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Eligibility considerations include if you have no other care options and if you are unable to continue working your normal hours remotely. You can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim and EDD representatives will decide if you are eligible. If you are not approved, you may have to use vacation or comp time. SEIU 521 member leaders are bargaining with San Mateo County in hopes that all accruals used for this purpose will be refunded to you but this will take some time to get resolved.
  • If you are denied time off because of school or daycare closure, get this denial in writing and report it to your steward and organizer immediately.

  • Employees who are determined to be “non-essential” should NOT report to their worksite at this time.  All county employees may be called in to work at a future date if and when required to provide emergency or other essential services. Check this pamphlet for more information on the California Emergency Service Act regarding Disaster Service Workers (DSWs): https://bit.ly/cadisasterservice
  • Non-essential employees who are able to work remotely are expected to do so. 
  • The county will provide any necessary equipment. Employees are not expected to purchase equipment and then submit for reimbursement.
  • Departments will be looking for tasks that employees can do from home such as remote training. Many employees working from home will be supporting essential services.

  • To the extent that non-essential employees are not able to fill all their hours with work assignments, such employees will be granted paid administrative leave for the hours when they do not have work assigned.  They will not be required to use sick time, vacation time, etc. They will be expected to fill out paperwork to account for this time. (This will allow the county to be reimbursed by the state and federal government if such relief is forthcoming.)
  • When an employee is working remotely and is sick, and therefore unable to work, they will be required to use their personal sick time to cover the time not worked.

As a county employee you may be called upon as a disaster worker in the event of an emergency. The information contained in this pamphlet will help you understand your role and obligation.

  • For Child Support, Controllers, County Counsel, Department of Housing, First 5, Human Resources, Human Services Agency, Library, Planning, Probation, Risk Management, SAMCERA Retirement, and Tax Collector, contact Aileen.Vlahakos@seiu521.org. 
  • For Assessor/ Recorder’s/Elections Department, Public Works, and Sheriff’s Department, contact Sandra.Floyd@seiu521.org. 
  • For County Manager’s Office, Health, ISD, and Revenue Services, contact Tizoc.Arenas@SEIULocal521.org 
  • For other concerns and questions, call the SEIU 521 office at (408) 678-3300 or email Bryan Evans at Bryan.Evans@seiu521.org.