NJ stay at home order and Husband's job

sarahsweets · Mar 22, 2020 at 04:03 AM

My husband works for an ivy league university as a teledata installer. What that means is it is not an IT job even though his department is OIT, he pulls cable and sets wifi packs during renovations and building changes. He is classified as a non-essential employee. When it snows and the university closes he does not have to go in. Since all this coronavirus stuff started to snow ball he has still been going to work. Around here its been nuts. The panic and people have been so selfish and frankly scary. Even when the Governer (NJ) declared that schools close and a state of emergency he has been going in, and been more and more uncomfortable doing so.

His university has had positive covid19 people but the the university wont say who these people interacted with or what buildings they were in. The university has been shut down and mostly everyone is working from home. He isnt necessarily in construction and he cant work from home. NJ has had covid cases double and triple in the last 10 days. He had previously taken off this past thurs and friday for us to do something but obviously we stayed home.
He has had to work even though the governer first said all business had to close and also even though there was a curfew and the university shut down the school and sent all the students home.

So yesterday we were all on edge because he got an email Friday saying the school was awaiting the governer's possible shutdown and we were concerned they were going to find a way to make his crew come in. Yesterday afternoon his crew leader emailed and said his crew did not have to come in and told them how to bill for their time.
We were so relieved. Then last night a dean said they were closing all lab experiments down. This school is the number 1 school in the nation and their experiments have lead to nobel peace prizes. Then he got an email from the big wigs that highlighted a paragraph in the Governers order that seemed to be a way they were trying to work around the order and make them come in. Here is a snippet of the order:

Quote:

Certain essential businesses and facilities are considered exempt from these closures:

Essential retail businesses that are exempt from the mandate to cease storefront operations include: Grocery stores, farmer's markets and farms that sell directly to customers, and other food stores, including retailers that offer a varied assortment of foods comparable to what exists as a grocery store; Pharmacies and medical marijuana dispensaries; Medical supply stores; Gas stations; Convenience stores; Ancillary stores within healthcare facilities; Hardware and home improvement stores; Vehicle rental locations; Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions; Laundromats and dry-cleaning services; Stores that principally sell supplies for children under five years; Pet stores and veterinary service locations; Car dealerships, but only for auto maintenance and repair, and auto mechanics; Printing and office supply shops; Mail and delivery stores; and Liquor stores.
All businesses or non-profits must accommodate their workforce for telework or work from home arrangements wherever practicable. To the extent they have employees who need to be on site, they should operate with the minimal number of on-site employees as possible to ensure critical operations can continue. Examples of such employees include cashiers or store clerks, construction workers, utility workers, repair workers, warehouse workers, lab researchers, IT maintenance workers, janitorial and custodial staff, and certain administrative staff.

Manufacturing, industrial, logistics, ports, heavy construction, shipping, food production, food delivery, and other commercial operations may continue operating, but as explained above, they should limit staff on site to the minimal number to ensure that essential operations can continue.
Medical facilities may continue to operate. Medical facilities include any facility where a sick or injured person is given care or treatment, such as: doctor’s offices, hospitals, dentist offices, long-term care facilities, and other medical offices.

Employees reporting to work are permitted to travel to and from their place of business. Businesses are encouraged to give each employee a letter indicating that the employee works in an industry permitted to continue operations.

Governor Murphy also signed Executive Order No. 108, which invalidates any county or municipal restriction that in any way will or might conflict with any of the provisions of Executive Order No. 107. This is effective at 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 as well. The only exceptions are two categories over which municipalities or counties may impose any additional restrictions: 1) online marketplaces for arranging or offering lodging and 2) municipal or county parks.

If you believe that your retail business or operations are unique and should be included as "essential," you may submit it to the State Director of Emergency Management, who is the Superintendent of State Police. The Director has the discretion to make additions, amendments, clarifications, exceptions, and exclusions to these lists.

WTH? Now he is worried they will make him come in. The projects he is on are not essential. They are empty places being changed. He is not in IT support and has nothing to do with keeping things running. What is your take on the order? Do you think he will have to go in based on what I have shared? Its very vague. On one hand he is in a department that has some essential people but his job description labels him as nonessential . But he has been going in all this time. We cant seem to figure out what is going on.
My daughter has an autoimmune disorder, I have an autoimmune disorder and my son had mono which means he is immunocomprimised. And frankly we are a close family unit and want to stay home and protect each other. I really dont know what is going on and am having trouble understanding the order. They said they were going to enforce the order using police but didnt not say how.
What do you all think?

divine1966 · Mar 22, 2020 at 06:41 AM

I’d say if he is deemed as non essential employee, he can stay home. Especially with “shelter in place”

If they insist he comes in, he can use an excuse that he has family members with health issues and pregnant daughter and he can’t get them sick and stay home. But I can’t imagine they’ll make him to come in.

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divine1966 Legendary Wise Elder Member Since Dec 2014 Location: US Posts: 22,369 (SuperPoster!) 9 1,277 hugs given	Mar 22, 2020 at 06:41 AM #2 I’d say if he is deemed as non essential employee, he can stay home. Especially with “shelter in place” If they insist he comes in, he can use an excuse that he has family members with health issues and pregnant daughter and he can’t get them sick and stay home. But I can’t imagine they’ll make him to come in.
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