My name is Debbie Kozak and I am a public employee in Virginia and member of the American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). I have been working in the mental health field for 36 years and when Covid hit, thankfully my agency granted my physician request to telework. I am living with health conditions that put me at a higher risk of exposure and impact from the coronavirus.

Recently, when our workplace began preparing for the implementation of an electronic health records system, I struggled to obtain an accommodation to attend the related training virtually, rather than on-site. That’s why we need the standards in place, that protect us from having to enter an unsafe work environment to be made permanent. We need strong enforcement mechanisms so that employers in Virginia know that safety of employees and our citizens comes first. Please make the Temporary Emergency Standards permanent.