The flu vaccine is expected to be more popular than usual this year as people focus on their health in light of COVID-19, and as public health authorities warn us of the double impact on the health care system of COVID-19 and the influenza season. UC employees, staff, and students - those on site - have been directed to get the flu vaccine this year by November 1. Berkeley Lab employees … [Read more...]
Follow Up to August 4 Town Hall
Colleagues, Thank you for joining us yesterday at the town hall. More than 1,460 people attended, and it was clear that many of you would like more information about the Lab’s long term plans for bringing people back to our worksites. We are never able to get to everyone’s questions in real time, so I want to take this opportunity to further expand on this important topic. We want you to have … [Read more...]
Focus Group Lessons Learned
Be kind and patient with each other during this difficult time. These are unsettling times/uncertain times for some staff, which can affect individuals’ mindsets and behaviors. During this period, instead of admonishing a peer or subordinate staff when personal safety requirements are not followed, create a dialogue to better understand their reasoning. Have a questioning attitude to … [Read more...]
On-Site Superstar: Ben Agas
Ben Agas, a fire-alarm electrician at Berkeley Lab since 2014, lives in a household of “essential employees” – those who are still called into work during a time when most in California must shelter in place to avoid the risk of infection by the virus causing COVID-19. His wife works in a hospital, his son is an emergency medical technician who transports patients to hospitals, and Agas continues … [Read more...]
On-site Superstar: Reynaldo Viray
Reynaldo Viray is one of several custodians who has continued to come to work at Berkeley Lab each day, performing essential functions that keep the Lab safe and functioning while in standby mode. “It’s better to be here doing something productive than just staying home,” he said. “They need us here, so let’s be here.” Viray has been a custodian at Berkeley Lab for 30 years and has worked … [Read more...]