All Oxy community members who will be living, working or spending time on campus will be required to complete daily symptom and temperature screenings before arriving on campus using the college-sponsored health monitoring app. Below are answers frequently asked questions about the app.
Privacy/Data Usage Policy
How will my personal information be protected?
Oxy recognizes the sensitive nature of health questions and the importance of the privacy, security, and confidentiality of your information. Your responses as a Oxy community member will remain confidential and will only be accessible, on a need-to-know basis, by Emmons and/or Human Resources staff. ITS staff who administer this system also have access but are bound by a confidentiality agreement as a condition of employment at the College.
What information can my manager see?
At this time, managers will not have access to any information in the system and will not be able to view any answers that have been submitted. If necessary, HR will inform managers about pertinent information related to an employee’s status. Supervisors will have the right to ask employees (or check with HR) to determine your clearance status, but will not be able to view underlying information.
What information can Emmons and Human Resources see?
Only Emmons and HR staff with access to this data can see if a community member is cleared or not cleared and the date of the health check. They do not have access to the specific symptoms reported via the tool by the community member.
Will this information be shared with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or other public agencies?
Oxy is not required to provide information from the Daily Health Check app to LADPH or other public agencies. Oxy will follow all reporting protocols provided by LADPH related to positive COVID cases and other public health related matters. Oxy will also continue to inform the campus community when positive cases are identified (without identifying the individual who tested positive) and the measures taken to mitigate risk.
How will my data be used?
The aggregated information from the health check system could be used to understand the overall health of our Oxy community and allow Oxy to take a more proactive approach to managing its response to the pandemic. Any changes to how the data will be handled will be discussed with and announced to the community.
Where is the data being stored, and how long will it be stored?
The Daily Health Check web app was developed by ITS and the application and database are on Oxy secure servers in Oxy’s server room. The data will likely remain on Oxy’s secure servers until the COVID pandemic has been controlled or eliminated.
Medical/Public Health Rationale
Why are these symptoms being monitored? Why not others? What was the process for selecting them?
The symptoms listed in Oxy’s Daily Health Check are provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
For Staff & Faculty
What is the process by which the College monitors individuals who have submitted the form and received clearance? What are the consequences for being in violation?
Daily Health Check compliance will be handled in the same way as all other workplace safety-related matters are handled. Please contact Human Resources for more information.
There are a range of different types of infractions including failure to report, misreporting information and failure to quarantine, and each scenario needs to be reviewed separately. Any infraction is a serious public health matter and needs to be addressed as such. Corrective action may start with a verbal or written warning; however, each case must be reviewed on its own merits. Ultimately, this is a serious situation that requires that the College consider all possibilities, up to and including termination in extraordinary circumstances.
Employees who normally work on campus may feel pressure to report that they are clear on all health symptoms if they fear that their failure to show up to work will put their job or income at risk. What are the consequences of not being cleared for campus access when the normal expectation is for on-campus work?
Honest and complete reporting of health symptoms will result in no negative consequences. If someone has any symptoms that preclude them from working, they may use available sick leave, including up to 80 hours of supplemental sick leave provided pursuant to the April 7 Los Angeles city public order. If the employee has no available sick leave, they may use accrued unused vacation time. Please contact Human Resources if you have any questions about using leave time.
Moreover, if an employee contracts COVID-19 while performing work functions on campus, they can submit a workers’ compensation claim.