As the distributor of unemployment benefits, the Oregon Employment Departmenthas a key role in trying to softenthe effects of the economic collapse on Oregonians.

But months after its ownworkersfirst raised concerns that they were at risk of catching the virus in agency offices, and as new coronavirus cases surge across the state, a dozen employees have tested positive for COVID-19in seven of the agency'soffices.

The agency's acting leader, David Gerstenfeld, acknowledged Wednesday thatongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 among staff could delay the agency's already slow distribution of benefitsfor the estimated 243,000 people still unemployed in Oregon.

"We are very concerned for our employees," Gerstenfeld said. "And certainly if more and more employees are not able to work, whether for COVID-19 or any other reason, that could have an impact onhow quickly we can process claims."

The pressure continues to mountfor the agency to make progress on claims, as some Oregonians have been waiting months for money.

Last week, 13 peoplesued the agency and Gerstenfeld in Multnomah County Circuit Court, asking the court to compel the agency to hasten the process of getting benefits out to applicants.

On Tuesday, state lawmakers voted to set up a separate program through the state's main administrative agency tosend $500 checks to Oregonianswho haven't gotten any unemployment benefits.

Working to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19

Two agency workers tested positive for COVID-19 back in April.As of Thursday, 12 more have tested positive, according to a spokeswoman for the department.

In late March, as the pandemic started to take hold in Oregon and Gov. Kate Brown ordered most Oregonians to stay at home,workers expressed worries that their offices weren't safe.

In April, four employees filed complaints with the state's occupational safety and health agency, alleging that employment department workers were not six feet apart,that the agency didn't designate someone to oversee social distancing, and that the agency wasn't allowing workers to telecommute. Workers also complained that there were no cleaning supplies and that they were denied hand sanitizer, bleach wipes and disinfectants.

After the complaints were filed, an occupational health consultant from Oregon OSHAspoke withthe Employment Department's property and risk manager, Timothy Dunks, and documented in an April 16 letter to Dunks the steps the agency took to protect employees.

"It was impressive to learn about everything you have implemented to protect employees from COVID-19," wrote the consultant, Jennifer Ekdahl. "It seems you're doing everything you can and I commend you for that."

The agency moved cubicles to space everyone at least six feet apart,designated managers to enforce social distancing and split shifts so that fewer workers were in the office.

And hand sanitizer was set up in common areas and in restrooms, and the agency obtained and supplied "cleaning chemicals" every day to "offices that need it" and increased the number of times that surfaces are cleaned, according to the letter.

Despite these steps, though,as COVID-19 cases in Oregon rise daily, 12 more agency employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

"This is not about risk elimination," Aaron Corvin,a spokesman for Oregon OSHA, wrote in an email to the Statesman Journal."This is about risk reduction. Employers who fully apply COVID-19 guidance will reduce the likelihood that their employees get COVID at work but they will not eliminate it."

"I think this has been an evolving situation for everyone," Gerstenfeld said."And certainly, as we're seeing everywhere in the state and in most parts of the nation, that the virus is continuing to spread, we did think it was appropriate to continuously reexamine what we can do to further protect our workers and further limit the spread."

Masks to be provided as "additional preventative measure"

The agency told workers on July 10 that it would startrequiringthemto wear masks to work.

The requirement will go into effect when the agency receives a shipment of masks it can provide to workers. The masks are expected to arrive next week and be distributed on July 23, said spokeswoman Ariane Le Chevallier.

State workers are exempt from the mask mandate in areas where they're not dealing with the general public,according to the governor's office. That guideline was issued "with input and approval" from state health officials, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kate Brown said.

"Face coverings are not currently mandated in office settings where the public is not being served in person, but we're doing this as additional preventative measure," Gerstenfeld said of the mask requirement. "We've been encouraging employees to wear face coverings if they can. And we've been encouraging employees whose jobs can be done remotely to telework."

This week, 20 workers at the agency started working from home as part of an agreement with a union representing workers to test out remote work.

A share of the 20people working from home are people employed at the Worksource office in Gresham, which was closed July 8 for two weeks because six workers there were confirmed to have COVID-19. All workers who are able towork are teleworking, said Le Chevallier.

"I think this incidentwith the Gresham office just highlights the need for the employment department to get people out of these crowded offices and out into their homes where they can continue to be productive," said Steve Demarest, president of SEIU 503, the union representing workers there.

There is no deadline or specific timeline for the test run, but the union and agency will likely decide together whether it's successful, Demarest said.

But if the disease keeps spreading in Oregon's employment offices, that could further disrupt the already slow distribution of benefits to Oregonians.

"Right now, if they had to shut down one of the (unemployment insurance) centers, it would just be catastrophic for processing claims," Demarest said.

Bill Poehler covers Marion County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him atbpoehler@statesmanjournal.comor Twitter.com/bpoehler.

Claire Withycombe is a reporter at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at cwithycombe@statesmanjournal.com, 503-910-3821 or follow on Twitter @kcwithycombe.

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COVID-19 outbreaks at Oregon employment department could slow claims further - The Register-Guard