Our updates re: COVID-19
May 13, 2020
Two employees notified Freres Lumber that they tested positive for COVID-19. Employee 1 reported a positive test result on May 12; employee 2 on May 13. Freres’ HR and Safety managers are working on contact tracing, alerting anyone who was in close contact with the employee(s). We are also referring these employees to the CDC website and suggesting they call their physician. These cases occurred after a week of downtime, so there was limited workplace contact.
Employees who test positive for COVID-19 will be:
- Instructed not to report to work.
- Advised to contact his or her healthcare provider.
- Quarantined with pay.
- Asked to identify all coworkers with whom they have worked in close proximity in the last 14 days. The company will notify these team members without identifying the employee.
These measures protect our employees, customers and the community at large.
Protecting the Freres Lumber family
- Employees are recommended to maintain social distance, 6 feet of separation from each other. In cases where employees work in close proximity to each other shields or barriers have been utilized to provide opportunity to social distance.
- Supervisors are regularly cleaning high-traffic areas. We have increased the frequency of professional contracted cleaning services.
- Employees are instructed not to report to work if they are sick or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
- Freres has provided thermometers, rubber gloves, masks and guidance for their use at each plant.
- Freres will continue employee health benefits.
- Freres has relaxed attendance policies to eliminate any punitive effect for missing work due to COVID-19.
- Freres has posted COVID-19 information in employee break rooms.
- The company is continually resupplying work areas, offices and break rooms with sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes.
Supporting our community
In addition to supporting nearly 500 local employees in our plants, many suppliers, contractors, and customers rely on our business, as well. We have a responsibility to their families, as well as a responsibility to help our communities as we weather this health and economic storm together.
Freres Lumber recently gifted Santiam Canyon School District a $100,000 donation as well as a $150,000 in-kind donation of Mass Plywood Products as a show of support to our Santiam Canyon communities and families. With distance learning in place, SCSD was able to move their new school construction timeline up to get those projects completed early while students are at-home for the rest of the school year.
In addition, Freres employees, contractors and family members are supporting Santiam Hospital’s SIT Mobile program that helps deliver essential goods to local families in need.
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