Returning Remote Employees to the Workplace

Stony Brook Medicine demonstrated extraordinary efforts during the course of the pandemic. Now that Long Island has met all seven criteria for reopening, we are planning a gradual and incremental approach to returning employees working remotely to the workplace.

As you may recall, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an Executive Order on March 22 directing the non-essential state workforce to work from home to help slow the spread of COVID-19. While the vast majority (over 6,500) of our employees continue to work on site at the hospital to ensure continued operations and provide lifesaving work, almost 1,000 employees have been working remotely to comply with this order.

Now we will return employees in stages, returning no more than 25 percent of those working remotely in each stage. This gradual approach will enable us to do the following:

• Ensure adequate spacing of work stations to ensure social distancing
• Install Plexiglas shields in reception areas and make any other needed changes to the physical environment
• Ensure sufficient supplies of facemasks, hand sanitizers, office cleaning products and other necessary items
• Prepare conference rooms, waiting rooms, elevator spaces and other public areas with visible cues to ensure social distancing

All returning employees will complete a brief online educational program that provides information on the safeguards being implemented to ensure a comfortable and safe return to the workplace for all.

Our first phase of returning employees working remotely to the campus will occur on Thursday, July 30. Employees identified as “high priority” to return to the office setting are included in this first phase of return. Additional information on our Return to Work Plan is located here: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/comingback/faqs.php

Stony Brook Strong knows no limits, and our health system has been the clear leader in ensuring sound clinical outcomes and a safe working environment for our staff and faculty. In fact, recent employee antibody testing reveals a rate of 3.4 percent, which is significantly lower than the community, demonstrating that our use of PPE and safety precautions is working.

I know the transition to working remotely was difficult for all of us, because we value the relationships and comradery we have with our colleagues, working side-by-side on a daily basis. Thanks to our Information Technology team, we have embraced and invested in new technology to keep our remote staff connected. Over the past few months, remote workers have been able to connect live through video meetings and virtual town halls to build and maintain relationships. Our Marketing and Communications team quickly adjusted internal communications strategies and channels to ensure our remote employees regularly receive important updates so they have the latest information.

While we are temporarily working under many roofs, we all remain united by a shared mission of caring for those most vulnerable and a culture steeped in honest and open communication, which is essential for working collaboratively and effectively. On behalf of our leadership team, we are grateful to all of our employees and faculty for your dedication, commitment and flexibility during this unprecedented public health crisis.

Carol