Lasko COVID-19 News

Dear Lasko Associates, 

With recent news about COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its impact around the globe, we understand that the many of you are expressing concern about the impact the virus might have on us and our working conditions.  We thought it is important to provide you with an update on actions the Company is taking to keep our employees safe. Our first priority – now and always – is the health and safety of our employees, supply chain partners, and customers. 

What are Lasko’s COVID-19 Safe Workplace Protocols? 

• Don’t come to work if you feel sick, have any symptoms of COVID-19, or have come in contact with someone who has COVID-19 or is being tested.  Please contact your supervisor or HR if you are unsure of your risk. 
• Adhere to social distancing of 6 feet from your colleagues. Do not come in contact with others and do not touch your face. Do not share food, clothing, utensils, tools, or anything else with each other 

• Use disinfectant spray or wipes after you use equipment, in the break room on tables and appliances, and on your desk, phone, light switches and other areas you touch  
• Wash your hands well and frequently and use hand sanitizer in between hand washings 
• Masks should be worn at all times 

What guidelines and information do we have from the CDC? 

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the flu with fever, coughing and shortness of breath. It appears to mainly be spread through close person-to-person contact. It may be possible for someone to touch a surface or object with the virus on it and then touch their nose or mouth and become infected, but this is not the main way the virus spreads, according to CDC and other health experts. 

In addition to all the normal things you do to stay healthy, the preventive measures are the same as for the flu or other viruses, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. 

• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 

2. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even inside your home.  Maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members. 

• Put distance (at least 6 feet) between yourself and other people outside of your home. 
• Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus. 
• Do not gather in groups, stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gatherings. 
• Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of COVID-19. 

3. Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others as you could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick. 

• Everyone should wear a cloth face cover in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities. 
• The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected. 
• Do NOT use a facemask meant for a healthcare worker. 

• Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing. 

4. Cover coughs and sneezes to reduce transmission 

• If you are in a private setting and do not have on your cloth face covering, remember to always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. 
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 

5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. 

• If surfaces are dirty, clean them with detergent or soap and water. 
• After cleaning, use a household disinfectant. Most common EPA-registered household disinfectants will work.  

6. Monitor your health and be alert for symptoms.  

• Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19. 
• This is especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet. 
• Take your temperature if symptoms develop. 

More information on coronavirus can be found on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html 

What precautions is the Company taking to minimize exposure to our employees? 

In the event of a confirmed COVID-19 exposure affecting any employee, there will be an immediate quarantine of the shift. The workers will be sent home and we will notify others that may have been in contact with the infected employee. Affected areas will be shut down and disinfected before resuming operations.  Employees who have had direct exposure will be instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days and not return to work until tested. 

All employees should follow Lasko’s COVID-19 Safe Workplace Protocols. 

LASKO COVID-19 WORK FROM HOME POLICY 

Effective March 16, we are issuing the following guidance for corporate office and administrative employees in the United States and Canada: 

• Employees who can meet their job responsibilities by working from home are encouraged to do so with prior approval from their respective Executive Team Leader.  However, all offices will remain open with normal business hours.   If there is a requirement or need to return to the office to perform job duties, you should do so. 
• While many employees have the capability to work remotely, in the event you are unsure or need further support, please contact the IT department. 
• Please refer to this link from IT on guidance for working remotely: https://laskop.sharepoint.com/IT/Lists/IT%20Announcements/DispForm.aspx?ID=7 
• Employees should use Microsoft Teams for meetings and other collaborative conversation 

• If you are approved to work from home, please see the attached IT checklist for remote connectivity. 
• Employees working where on-site presence is needed to ensure business continuity should continue to report to work at their site. 
• We are restricting access to anyone, including employees, contractors and visitors, who is: exhibiting flu-like symptoms, has been in areas of high community transmission, or has been in close contact with someone infected or suspected of being infected. 

Manufacturing Plants and Offices – US and Canada 

• Each office will stock sanitizer at reception and breakrooms/cafeterias. In addition, if not already in place, we will install hand sanitizers at the UltiPro biometric finger-print readers at the plants and in Azusa. 

• We will also be cleaning and sanitizing high-touch areas like vending machines, cafeterias, doors and restrooms with more frequency. 
• Employees in the plants will be monitored to ensure they are wearing proper hand protection and not sharing protective eyewear or gloves. 
• T. will be working with managers to conduct “work from home” testing to ensure jobs can be done remotely in the event we need to refrain from work environments. 
• Reinforcing safe hygiene guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control as outlined above. 
• Cascading the same information to our employees to staffing agency employees and their management. 

• Developing contingency plans for all locations to minimize business disruption. 

Travel 

We’re restricting all business travel to essential trips only.  If you think a trip is absolutely essential, please work with your Executive Leadership Team member to validate that assumption prior to scheduling. 

• All international business travel is restricted and on-hold until further notice. 
• Airline travel within the US is permissible and requires approval. We are asking our employees to exercise caution in airports and in public places where large numbers of travelers may be present.  Management is monitoring both the federal government and airline industry guidelines for travel changes or warnings. 

• If you have travel planned and have questions, please reach out to your manager. 
• Temporarily suspending attendance at exhibitions/seminars/conferences where there are large gatherings. 
• Please consider using Microsoft Teams instead of travel. If you do not know how to use Teams, please contact IT for assistance. 

We’ll continue to share information as it becomes available and do our best to keep you informed about what we are doing as a company and how best to prevent the spread of the virus and protect our employees.  Also, be careful about fraudulent emails related to the coronavirus outbreak. Here is a link on the topic: https://getskout.com/cybersecurity-threat-advisory-0016-20-coronavirus-related-phishing-campaigns/ 

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding. If you have ideas or suggestions to help keep our work environment and employees safe, please send your emails to Lasko Human Resources (HR@laskoproducts.com). 

Thank you, 

  

The Executive Leadership Team