CURRENT STATUS – Business as usual.
Latest update September 22, 2022 Committee has suspended special precautionary guidance for COVID 19. (Related to Employees).
Beginning June 5, 2021 this page will be updated as needed, rather than daily.
Links to guidance:
1. FTI Employee INFO
2. VISITORS/VENDORS/CUSTOMERS and Friends
3. GENERAL
For all members of the FTI family (Employees, Customers, Vendors, and Friends)
FTI’s response committee is working proactively to address the safety and concerns of our employees, customers, and vendors.
We are working on a 4 point outline to manage risk and contingency as follows:
1. Institute good preventative practice
2. Constantly update guidance and general information
3.Communicate employment conditions and expectations
4. If required, implement alternate practices to assure long term business heath.
EMPLOYEE NEWS AND INFORMATION
- Institute Good preventative practice to stay healthy.
While there is no shortage of information on this topic, the US department of Health and Services Centers for Disease control (CDC) provides the latest information:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
Additionally, Employees are reminded to leverage new Teledoc benefits.
EMPLOYEE GUIDANCE UPDATES
March 19, 2020 –If you’d like the State of Connecticut’s latest informational update, click here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Coronavirus/COVID-19-FAQs.pdf?la=en
March 19, 2020 – And if you want to be added to the states email update service navigate here: https://tools.cdc.gov/CampaignProxyService/subscriptions.aspx
FTI will institute the following protocols:
A. All internal doors will be blocked open.
B. All employees are asked to wipe personal spaces, data entry terminals, restroom doors and any other hard surfaces with which they make contact using 99% alcohol or a properly prepared mixture of Alcohol and Water. Do this before initial use and through the day.
April 1, 2020 – Cleaning should take place around lunch break and the end of the shift.
C. Employees should keep their punch cards with their access badges to avoid congestion at the clocks.
D. All FTI planned customer and vendor travel has been suspended. Any employees travelling by air for any reason should follow CDC isolation guidelines
E. Managers will work to implement social distancing protocols in all work spaces. Our goal is to have all employees working at least 6 feet from other employees.
F. Employees should practice frequent hand washing and avoid touching their face.
G. Employees who can work from home will have the option of doing so. See the IT department for guidance and resources.
DO NOT REPORT TO WORK if you have the following symptoms….
1. Fever
2. Coughing
3. Shortness of breath
4. Follow CDC guidelines (see link above)
If you are concerned about contracting corona virus at work, your absence will be excused without pay. You will be allowed to use any personal/Sick/ or vacation time to offset income loss.
We are continuing to evaluate our options on this topic. FTI’s leadership places high value on all employees. We will strive to do whatever we can to minimize the individual negative impact of any changing business decision, should one come to pass.
APRIL 2, 2020 – If you are an employee who must stay home to act as a care giver, you may be eligible for special paid leave up to 10 weeks. Call HR for details.
April 3, 2020 – Employees who call in sick, or who become sick, should notify their supervisors, who will in turn, coordinate with HR.
APRIL 7, 2020 – The practice of sharing food will be suspended for the time being, not for the risk of food contamination, but to minimize COVID transmission from the containers.
We are continuing to evaluate our options on this topic. FTI’s leadership places high value on all employees. We will strive to do whatever we can to minimize the individual negative impact of any changing business decision, should one come to pass.
April 20, 2020 – Face covering for CT is now an executive order (In public, where social distancing cannot be maintained AND in essential businesses, all day long regardless of distance, in offices and common spaces). FTI will begin requiring the use of face covers beginning Wednesday, April 22, 2020, unless a medical condition prevents you from doing so. Anyone requiring construction help or resources, contact your supervisor.
June 15, 2020 – The practice of quarantining packages and mail will be suspended beginning Monday June 15th. Research has shown the probability of virus transmission from surfaces is very low.
August 20, 2020 – FTI will require a doctor’s note before being exempt from wearing a face cover while at work. This change follows the latest guidance and mandate from the State of Connecticut.
March 10, 2021 – FTI Will not mandate vaccination as a condition of employment at this time. FTI will encourage vaccination per CDC guidance. FTI encourages all employees to get vaccinated at the earliest possible opportunity.
To facilitate vaccination as soon as possible, FTI will pay employee’s wage up to 2 hrs per vaccine injection, if appointments are made during shift hours.
If your appointment is during shift hours, notify your supervisor first, then coordinate with HR to assure payment for time missed. If you are asked to make up time lost, it will be at the overtime rate.
If you suffer from side effects severe enough to warrant absence from work, normal personal/sick guidance will be in effect.
June 6, 2021 -The committee has decided the best course of action at this time is to maintain our current requirement mandating the use of masks on all FTI campuses.
However, we will begin allowing exceptions for those willing to submit written documentation from a licensed healthcare provider, indicating a medical exclusion for a qualifying medical condition, including full vaccination. Under this guidance, vaccination records are considered valid records, issued by licensed healthcare providers.
Should you wish to be considered for an exemption from wearing a mask, submit an original qualifying record to HR, who will assess the record as an application. If HR accepts the record, you will be approved for the exemption.
To indicate an exemption has been accepted, HR will provide a special sticker to mount to your key card, which should be prominently displayed.
Only employees showing the sticker will be permitted to be on campus without a mask.
This change in guidance will take effect June 7. However, until applicants receive the sticker, full compliance with current mask guidance is expected.
August 5, 2021 – Committee met to modify COVID guidance as follows:
For those who are vaccinated, if you come in contact with someone who has tested positive:
You are required to begin wearing a mask.
3-5 days after your encounter, you should get tested. While you await your results, you should continue to wear a mask until one of two conditions occurs:
- Your test result comes back negative
- 14 calendar days pass without getting sick.
September 22, 2022. All precautionary measures in place related to COVID19 have been suspended. The committee will continue to monitor conditions at all locations and react to changes as required.
NEWS for VENDORS, CUSTOMERS, AND FRIENDS
Effective March 16, 2020 we will suspend all visitation from vendors and outside service providers. Building entry is limited to employees only through secure doors. As we work through a proper vetting process, this restriction will be relaxed to allow service providers access.
March 19, 2020 – An approval protocol has been initially approved to allow vendors and service providers access. Will be implemented shortly. For now… Call before planning your visit.
March 20 , 2020 – Vendor and visitor protocol approved and implemented.
March 25 , 2020 – Vendors and visitors will be requested to sanitize their hands before interacting.
March 31, 2020 – Vendors and visitors may be required to have their temperature taken.
April 7, 2020 – Vendors will be required to apply hand sanitizer upon entering the building.
April 20, 2020 – Vendors require the use of face covers beginning Wednesday, April 22, 2020, unless a medical condition prevents you from doing so.
June 15, 2020 -The front door will be unlocked beginning Monday June 15 for normal use. Everyone using the door is required to practice avoidance protocols including social distance, hand sanitizing, and wearing of face covers.
July 2 , 2020 – To insure compliance with the face cover ruling, any employee violating the rule may face disciplinary action.
July 17, 2020 – Face shields may not be used as a substitute for face covers, per CDC
September 22, 2022 – All COVID19 precautionary measures are suspended.
GENERAL
The FTI response team will meet daily. Updates will be conspicuously posted on this web page and at all time clocks and message boards.
March 23, 2020 – As of today, with the exception of prevention measures and modified attendance policy listed above, FTI continues to operate normally. As a sub tier supplier of medical products and military goods, FTI is exempt from Connecticut’s recommended closure executive order.
March 23, 2020 – All vendors are reporting normal inventory and capabilities.
In the event FTI suspends normal operations, we will institute emergency communication protocol. This web page will be the information clearinghouse bulletin board for updates and notices.
Additionally, we will use virtual meeting technology (go to Meeting) as well as alternate Text/Email/phone communication keep everyone up-to-date and fully informed.
If you are a vendor or customer, corresponding contact information will be broadcast prior to shuttering.
Check back to this page for future updates and news.
