October 30

Important Message to OPSEU 245 Members:

Staff and students are being requested to indicate if they have 'flu like symptoms' when they call in sick or caring for a family member. This is the only type of illness that is being tracked in PeopleSoft for reporting purposes. Absentee reporters (and their designated backups) are the only staff members that have access to this information and they are restricted to seeing THEIR transactions. HR is the other group that has access to identify individuals reporting flu like symptoms. Other members within Sheridan (ie executive ) have access to summarized reports which do not identify individuals. Any reporting outside Sheridan would be from information in the summarized reports. HR and the pandemic committee have confirmed that this conforms with federal and provincial privacy regulations. Sheridan is also taking the stand 'do not ask me if __________ (specific teacher / staff / student / co-worker) is absent due to flu like symptoms or for other reasons because I can not and will not tell you that information' thus further ensuring their privacy.

For the latest Sheridan Pandemic Planning information please go to Sheridan's Pandemic Planning Web Site.

For information on H1N1 and Government resources use the links below:

• Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• Peel Public Health
• Halton Public Health

I hope this helps to alleviate your concerns around privacy of individuals as we try to provide enough information to executive so they can make determinations of the impact of H1N1 on Sheridan operations.

Evelyn Shoemaker
VP Health and Safety
OPSEU 245