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Friday, April 3, 2020
SEANC advocating for employee safety, hazard pay SEANC is working around the clock to make sure your questions and concerns are addressed as the state deals with the COVID-19 crisis. We are advocating for the closure of all worksites that do not involve mandatory workers. Employees should be allowed to work from home when possible, and those who can’t, should be granted special leave so they continue to be paid. Any employee who works in a position that place them in danger should receive hazard pay as well. This is an opportune time for legislative leaders and Gov. Roy Cooper to come up with a bipartisan solution to this matter. As with all other businesses in the state, it is imperative that state leaders do what’s right by their employees in this time. The situation at our prisons is a matter of great concern right now. DPS Commissioner of Prisons Todd Ishee announced Thursday that four inmates and four staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. The staff members work at Central, Johnston, Maury and Eastern, and the inmates are at Caledonia, Neuse and Johnston. SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins and other members of the staff and membership have worked diligently with prison leaders to make sure correctional employees’ concerns are being addressed. Watkins will host and moderate two all-staff calls with DHHS facility officials and employees in coming days. The first call will take place Saturday at 9 a.m., and the second on Wednesday, April 8, at 5 p.m. Employees can find more information and submit questions for the call here. We hope to plan similar events for other departments in the near future. Finally, everyone could use a little inspiration right now. Here's a great song from our last convention, sung by the choir from Southern Wayne High School in Dudley. Thank you to all of you for your hard work in this crisis. We Will Rise up!
Other items of interest to state employees and retirees: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina announced on Thursday that all out-of-pocket costs associated with COVID-19 treatment will be waived. This includes treatment for all State Health Plan members. Be sure to get your news from a trusted source. The News & Observer put together a good rundown of daily information here. Most other papers are doing similar things. Continue to keep State Treasurer Dale Folwell in your thoughts and prayers as he battles the virus. His office announced today that he was released from the hospital after a brief stay. He did not require a ventilator at any point during his stay. Folwell’s office assured everyone that retirement checks would be mail as scheduled despite the virus, and has set up this page for retirees for more information. Looking for professional development opportunities while you're stuck at home? N.C. State's McKimmon Center has lots of online opportunities here. SEANC is currently out of hand sanitizers, but we have placed an order which hopefully will arrive soon and we can resume our deliveries to worksites.
Beware of Coronavirus Scams As many Americans are social distancing and working from home, they may have found themselves answering calls from unknown phone numbers in anticipation of a work-related call. Scammers are working harder during these times of uncertainty by preying on the vulnerable. From offering student debt forgiveness to COVID-19 test kits to the lowering of interest rates, scammers are using illegal robocalls to take advantage of people. Below are some tips to help with the influx of scamming calls: Hang up on robocalls and don’t press any numbers Don’t respond to emails or texts regarding checks from the government Don’t click on links from unknown sources Disregard offerings of home test kits for COVID-19 Avoid “Cash app flipping” where a person offers to donate you money via Cash App, Venmo, Paypal or Zelle, but requests money for verification Make sure the charities you are donating to have been vetted through Charity Navigator or CharityWatch Please report scams at ftc.gov/complaint
Over 19 million Americans have fallen victim to identity theft since January 1, 2019. Make sure you are protected by enrolling in InfoArmor Identity Protection today. SEANC members pay $9.95/month per individual or $17.95/month per family.
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