Judith Faulkner, CEO of healthcare IT giant Epic Systems.
Source: Epic Systems
Epic Systems shared a letter with employees this weekend informing them that they are no longer required to return to the Verona, Wisconsin campus on Monday.
This marks a shift in her previous plans to bring most of her workers back to office during the coronavirus pandemic, which drew criticism from employees over the lack of concern for their health and well-being.
Epic sells electronic medical software to hospitals. About 4,000 of its 9,000 employees volunteered on their campus during the pandemic, the company said.
Employees were told to return to work earlier this month unless they had trouble arranging childcare or had a health condition that put them at risk of serious complications from Covid-19. Those employees were previously told they could work remotely on November 2nd.
Epic received a letter from local public health officials on August 6 asking questions about her return to the work plan. It told Public Health Services Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) that it will change its policy so that staff are not required to return to the office.
“Throughout our entire planning process, we have been in regular communication with PHMDC to ensure that our plans are in line with their mandates,” a CNBC spokesman said. “We responded to the letter on August 8 and asked for clarity on their regulation and approval of our plan in advance. While our intention is to bring staff back to campus, we are adjusting the time frame as we work with public health officials to approve them. get over our plan. “
Epic has not shared its timeline for when it expects staff to return. It emphasizes that it still hopes to bring back as many employees as possible. The original plan was to bring back most employees by mid-September.
“We hope you can provide us with additional guidance on your regulations,” Epic chief executive Sverre Roang wrote in a letter to local public health officials, which was shared with CNBC.
The company also said in the letter that it Dr. Nicky Quick, a former public health official, had been hired as an in-house expert. It works with former U.S. Food and Drug Administration acting commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff and is consulting with Cleveland Clinic on her return to work policy.
Letter to employees
The mission shared Saturday night with its staff of senior vice president Sumit Rana, also viewed by CNBC, that the company’s leaders “recognized that you (staff) may feel anxious when you return to work for various reasons.”
“For those of you returning to campus, you have the choice to return slowly,” the letter continues. “We expect you to maintain your normal workload and be available to your team and customers as needed.”
One anonymous employee, who refused to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company, told CNBC that workers felt intimidated by the requirement that they be required to report their decision to stay home to human resources (Epic said the decision was made to get a better headcount feel).
The employee also shared that colleagues were concerned that they would still be required to return to work in the very near future. In the letter, Epic said it would provide “two weeks notice” before asking staff to return to campus.
The employee also said she felt Epic had a “lack of confidence” regarding her employees ’ability to work effectively from home.
These sentiments do not seem to be isolated for a few workers. Results of an internal employee survey obtained by CBS News found that hundreds of employees objected to the plan.
Epic has stressed that its primary reason for returning staff is to preserve its culture. It has said it is adapting its campus to ensure social distance. Employees are required to wear masks unless they are alone in an office and the door is closed. It is also taking steps to improve ventilation and deliver takeout at its cafeteria.
Cerner to continue with the end of 2020
Cerner, Epic’s largest competitor in the field of electronic medical records, said it will continue telecommuting by the end of 2020. Cerner is based in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Midwest, where both Cerner and Epic are based, could be a potential Covid-19 hotspot. Wisconsin has reported more than 64,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths. Dane County, where Epic is based, has reported more than 4,500 cases.
“As a healthcare technology company, we are committed to not only doing our part, but leading by example to reducing the potential exposure and transmission of COVD-19 in our communities,” a Cerner spokesman said.
The spokesman said Cerner had successfully switched to remote work.
“We have currently determined that it is safest for our workforce to stay away until the end of the year,” the Cerner spokesman said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate our plans for a possible review based on the latest available data.”
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