Please find below a list of the most commonly asked questions from US employees relating to coronavirus (COVID-19). The answers and advice below are subject to review and may change at any time. If there is a question you still need answering, get in touch at peopleservices@libertyglobal.com.
What happens if I am sick with coronavirus?
If you are unable to work due to sickness, then our normal absence/PTO policies – and any additional country policies for paid leave – will apply. Please contact People Services with any queries.
If you have symptoms, but are well enough to work from home, then you will be paid as normal during this period.
What happens if I am told to self-isolate and do so, but cannot work from home during that time?
In the event of an employee needing to self-isolate and not being able to work from home, then Liberty Global will grant additional paid leave (per country policy or through additional business approved leave, pending approval of their ELT member).
The additional business approved leave will be reviewed and approved on a weekly basis. Liberty Global monitors emergency situations daily to determine how long pandemic/additional business approved leave must continue and – following consultation with outside authorities – advises employees when to expect to return to work.
What happens if I need to stay home to care for my child as their school is closed?
We understand that school decisions and childcare arrangements can have a direct impact on your ability to make it into the office. We will follow CDC guidelines when it comes to quarantine restrictions. Please work with your line manager to agree an approach that works best for you. It might be helpful to discuss temporary alternative working patterns with your line manager to enable you to better balance child care and working from home.
If your specific circumstances are such that you are unable to work during this time, then Liberty Global may grant additional paid leave (per country policy or through additional business approved leave, pending approval of their ELT member).
The additional business approved leave will be reviewed and approved on a weekly basis. Liberty Global monitors emergency situations daily to determine how long pandemic/additional business approved leave must continue and – following consultation with outside authorities – advises employees when to expect to return to work.
What happens if I need to stay home to care for someone in my household who has a confirmed case of coronavirus?
If you can work from home, then please do so. It might be helpful to discuss temporary alternative working patterns with your line manager to enable you to better balance caring requirements and working from home.
In the event of an employee having to take additional time off to care for dependents, then Liberty Global will grant additional business approved leave, pending approval of their ELT member.
The additional business approved leave will be reviewed and approved on a weekly basis. Liberty Global monitors emergency conditions daily to determine how long pandemic/additional business approved leave must continue and, following consultation with outside authorities, advises employees when to expect to return to work.
What happens if I, or somebody in my household, is exposed to someone that has been confirmed to have the virus in the last 14 days?
If you or any member of your household has been in contact with a person that in the last 14 days has tested positive for coronavirus, then you must self-isolate for 14 days.
What happens if an employee has a confirmed case of coronavirus?
In the unfortunate event of an employee contracting coronavirus, there are several steps we will take. If the individual was in the office in the last two days, the impacted office area will be disinfected and employees in that area may have to work from home during that time.
We will also follow guidance from the Triangle Building on the cleaning process. The guidance will be given by the building on a case-by-case basis and will follow the recommendations of the CDC and WHO.
The individual will be asked to complete our Coronavirus Employee Questionnaire and colleagues who were in close contact with the individual will, in line with the applicable guidance of the local medical authorities, be asked to self-isolate and work from home for 14 days, monitoring themselves for possible symptoms. If the individual is working from home and becomes ill, they should still report their illness to their line manager and complete the coronavirus questionnaire. The completed questionnaire should be emailed to People Services.
What happens if an employee has a suspected case of coronavirus?
In the unfortunate event of an employee having a suspected case of coronavirus, they will be required to self-isolate until they have been tested and must stay away from the office for 14 days from the start of symptoms, whether the coronavirus test is positive or negative.
The individual will be asked to complete our Coronavirus Employee Questionnaire and colleagues who were in direct contact with the individual will be informed and, following applicable guidance of the local medical authorities, may also be asked to self-isolate until the test results come back. The completed questionnaire should be emailed to People Services.
What happens if someone becomes ill at work with symptoms of coronavirus?
If you feel unwell, please stay at home. In the unlikely event that an employee suddenly becomes ill at work with symptoms of coronavirus, they should inform their line manager immediately. The line manager will then discreetly help the employee to a separate room so they can contact the relevant local medical authority to seek advice on next steps.
The line manager should email People Services to inform them. Facilities must also be informed and arrange for the impacted areas to be disinfected. Employees in that area may be asked to work from home while that takes place.
Why do I have to stay away from the office for 14 days from the start of my symptoms even if I have a negative coronavirus test result?
The health and safety of our employees is our number one priority. A negative test result means you did not show as having coronavirus on the day the test was taken and there may be a small chance of a false negative result. We want to err on the side of caution to protect our employees, so if you have symptoms of the virus, staying home for 14 days will greatly reduce the risk of passing any infection to others.
Will we close the office if there is a confirmed case at the site?
We will follow the most up to date advice of the World Health Organization and country governments, which is subject to change. We will also follow the guidance of the Triangle Building management, which will be given on a case-by-case basis.
Are our health insurance companies doing anything special around COVID-19?
There are some additional services covered under our plan regarding COVID-19, including coverage for testing and telehealth consultation. Please check out the resources on the CDC website with regards to testing and contact your health provider for additional questions. You may also use your FSA or HSA dollars towards the purchase of face coverings. Please also check out the resources offered through our Employee Assistance Program to support you during this time. If you have any additional questions, contact People Services.