Thousands of state employees, many of whom had been working from home, returned Monday to state office buildings amid a spike in Arkansas of covid-19 infections and hospitalizations.
Cabinet-level secretaries and state department heads received safety guidelines late last week, and workers in some departments weren't alerted until Friday afternoon, according to documents provided by state agencies and employees.
The return is part of Phase 2 of reopening the state after shutdowns of schools and some public offices and private businesses to control the covid-19 pandemic. Gov. Asa Hutchinson last week announced that Arkansas would enter that second phase.
Nonessential state employees have been working remotely since late March.
The Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services, which helped plan employees' return, issued a two-page set of guidelines dated Wednesday.
It contains requirements such as: Employees who test positive for covid-19 must report their results; employees should stay 6 feet apart if possible or, alternately, wear masks; employees must be screened for fevers at the door; and sick employees shouldn't go to work.
The Department of Transformation and Shared Services worked with the state Department of Health on the rules. Work began in early May, said Alex Johnston, a spokeswoman for the transformation department.
The guidelines also say that staffers in high-risk groups should continue to work remotely, with approval from their employers.
"High risk" is determined by the state Health Department and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 4 in 10 adults in the United States are at risk of severe illness if they contract covid-19 because of their age or preexisting health conditions, according to an analysis released April 23 from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
State agencies are using differing systems for processing requests for high-risk employees to continue working from home, according to documents and interviews.
The Health Department, which required the return of virtually all employees, allows those who believe they are high-risk for covid-19 complications to submit "a request with supporting medical documentation."
"If the employee chooses to pursue this option, they will be required to submit leave starting Monday until a determination is made," according to an email obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and sent to all department employees Thursday.
Nearly 2,000 Health Department employees went to work on-site Monday. These employees were spread over 96 statewide locations. About 900 were working on-site Friday, said Meg Mirivel, a department spokeswoman.
"The Arkansas Department of Health is the lead agency in the COVID-19 pandemic response," Mirivel wrote in an email explaining why employees were called back to their offices. "As this public health emergency evolves, the response needs and requirements have increased."
The department declined to say how many employees had requested leave because they or a family member were in high-risk categories; who was reviewing leave requests; the process of developing the plan; or who specifically worked on the reentry plan for working in state offices.
Here's what other state agencies and branches of government reported Monday:
• The Department of Human Services, the state's largest agency with 7,087 employees, began returning remote workers to offices on Monday. Those who filled out forms showing they are at risk for covid-19 complications "are continuing to work remotely," according to spokeswoman Amy Webb.
Some DHS divisions and offices brought all remote staff members back Monday. Others are returning over the next couple of days to allow time for office changes to comply with the 6-foot rule of social distancing.
• The state Department of Finance and Administration, with about 2,400 employees, returned the last of its low-risk staff members to offices Monday, according to spokesman Scott Hardin.
Employees with high-risk medical conditions are permitted to continue working from home but must furnish written explanations from physicians or other medical providers. Each employee is also required to provide a length of time the condition may prevent the person from returning to work.
The finance department has kept open most of its 134 state revenue offices since the covid-19 pandemic closures began in March. Monday's callback affected just 5% to 7% of the staff, Hardin estimated.
• Arkansas Department of Transportation workers won't return to offices en masse until next week "at the earliest," said Randy Ort, the department's deputy director and chief operating officer.
The department, which employs 3,700 people statewide, has submitted its "return-to-full operations" plan to the governor's office, Ort said. Officials want to ensure the department has enough necessary equipment, such as thermometers and protective gear, before bringing staff members back into traditional office space, he said.
Much of the Transportation Department's work, such as highway maintenance and construction inspection, has continued throughout the pandemic, Ort said.
• Department of Commerce employees learned Friday that they would return to on-site work Monday. Spokeswoman Alisha Curtis said she didn't have exact numbers but that it was "a significant increase."
Commerce Department employees will be provided with masks and required to wear them when they are not able to socially distance themselves, according to an email that Secretary Mike Preston sent to department leadership Friday afternoon. Failure to follow requirements "may result in a disciplinary action," Preston wrote.
Requests to continue remote work are considered case by case, and medical documentation is not required up front, Curtis said.
• Gov. Asa Hutchinson's spokeswoman Katie Beck said Monday that governor's office employees returned to on-site work under requirements applicable to all state employees.
"Governor's office employees, who do not have high-risk conditions impacted by COVID-19, are required to wear masks when they are not able to socially distance in public spaces and when away from their desks."
• The Arkansas Supreme Court and its staff and law clerks continue to work from home instead of at the Justice Building in Little Rock, Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Kemp said.
• The Department of Corrections, which runs both the state's prisons and its parole and probation services, ordered most of its office-based employees to return to work on April 20, according to spokeswoman Cindy Murphy.
That included 280 employees assigned to the agency's Central Administrative Offices in Pine Bluff, as well as more than 1,300 Division of Community Correction employees based around the state. Prison staffers, who make up the vast majority of the 3,950-person workforce of the Division of Correction, were never subject to work-from-home allowances, Murphy said.
• Constitutional offices also are pursuing their own differing strategies.
Most of Secretary of State John Thurston's employees continue to work from home, spokesman Kevin Niehaus said Monday. "We are closely monitoring the situation and will call staff back into the office when we feel it's safe to do so," Niehaus said.
Employees in state Treasurer Dennis Milligan's office "started working in the office again [Monday] with stipulations," said Milligan spokeswoman Stacy Peterson. "We are strictly adhering to the guidelines set forth by the Department of Health and the CDC as well as the governor's Phase 2 reopening plan."
Employees in state Auditor Andrea Lea's office will continue working a blend of remote and in-office work, said Skot Covert, the auditor's chief of staff.
State Land Commissioner Tommy Land's employees continue to work in the office unless the employee falls into a high-risk category, spokeswoman Nikki Heck said.
Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin said his employees are continuing to work in their office.
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's spokeswoman Amanda Priest said Monday that "we are continuing to monitor the situation." She pointed to a statement last month saying the staff had worked remotely to handle an increased workload.
Information for this article was contributed by Lisa Hammersly and John Moritz of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.