The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Governing Board (TGB) passed Resolution 2023-23, on March 27, 2023, ending the State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 Pandemic declared on March 16, 2020, and also rescinded employment related Resolutions, policies, mandates and directives regarding COVID-19.
The TGB issued a memorandum to all tribal employees directing them to report to their offices and their normal work schedules effective immediately, consistent with pre-COVID-19 work schedules.
The memo states:
Paid administrative leave will continue to be in effect for those employees who test positive for COVID-19. Supervisors will require proof of the positive test and ensure that safety protocols are followed. PTO must be used for any time away from work, if medical documentation is provided to the supervisor and verified by Human Resources, the used PTO will be credited back to the employee. This is necessary to protect against abuse of the policy. However, paid administrative leave for quarantining due to possible COVID-19 exposure has been rescinded. Telework and Working from Home policies are no longer necessary as a strategy to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, thus all Telework and Working from Home policies are rescinded.
COVID-19 remains an urgent concern for the tribe, and all tribal safety measures will continue to be monitored and implemented on an as-needed basis. All tribal employees should continue to monitor their health and follow the advice of their medical provider. The use of masks and other preventive measures are encouraged.
Personal Time Off (PTO)
As a reminder for all tribal employees as the Tribe transitions back to in-office work schedules, PTO use requires prior approval from your supervisor. While PTO usage is normally permitted, Directors and other supervisors have a duty to ensure normal operations for their departments. Therefore, any PTO use without Supervisor approval will be considered unpaid. All tribal employees are required to follow the policies and procedures as codified in Chapter PAP.1 Governmental Personnel Policies and Procedures of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. These policies and procedures can be found at https://law.lco-nsn.gov/us/nsn/lco/council/code/PAP.1. Additionally, the Tribal Governing Board has highlighted the most relevant policies below.
The use of PTO as defined under Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Code of Law Section PAP.1.7.050(d), specifically “Employees must schedule and have the use of accrued PTO time approved so it will not interfere with job responsibilities...” and PAP.1.7.050(e), “To utilize PTO for unscheduled absences employees must notify the Tribe and their immediate supervisor prior to their designated start time. If an Employee is absent from work for 3 days or longer, which is related to an illness or other medical related issues, a Physicians excuse must be provided that substantiates their absence.”