Gov clarifies which ASG employees get paid and which don’t during COVID restrictions

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga provided an updated directive pertaining to paying American Samoa Government employees who are absent from their place of employment due to COVID-19 Emergency Declaration restrictions.

The Governor’s Office released early last week, a “Frequently Asked Questions” information sheet on the declaration. It states that departments and agency directors are responsible for minimal on-site staffing and shall advise public of alternative means of providing services while office staff is reduced. The declaration also encouraged working remotely.

In his Mar. 25 directive, the governor explained that ASG “employees who have not been able to work at their regular place of employment” due to the COVID-19 declaration “shall be paid without their leave being charged.”

“Those employees who are staying home because of quarantine, isolation, or at the direction of their supervisor ARE performing their duties,” the governor pointed out.

Furthermore, employees who are in quarantine or isolation — pursuant to a Health Department directive — “are to be assigned to be in their place of quarantine or isolation during their work day.”

Anyone who leaves their place of quarantine or isolation during their work day for any purpose other than seeking medical care “is subject to disciplinary action in additional to any other penalties provided by law,” the governor warned.

Summary of the Governor’s declaration “Frequently asked Questions” information sheet, states that: “Any person who violates the requirements of the Emergency Declaration, or violates an isolation directive by the Director of Health or his designee, may be charged and fined up to $1,000.”

The governor’s memo didn’t provide additional information on the type of “disciplinary action” that would be imposed for ASG workers who violate the quarantine or isolation directive.

ASG officials involved with the home-isolation enforcement provision of the emergency declaration say that all those directed to home quarantine and isolation are told about this fine if any violation occurs.

In his Mar. 25 directive, the governor further explains that employees who are instructed by their supervisor to remain at home due to restrictions in the declaration “shall be paid their regular rate of pay without their leave being charged.” And directors should assign their employees remote work to the extent possible.

Lemanu made clear in the directive that this “policy applies to employees who were ‘granted’ an exemption from the government employee vaccine mandate because of a disability, a valid medical reason, or because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.”

Furthermore, this “policy does not apply to those employees who were placed on leave for failure to provide proof of vaccination” pursuant to the COVID-19 declaration.

As previously reported by Samoa News, the governor — in previous declarations — had given ASG employees until Jan. 14 this year to be fully vaccinated, with provisions provided for those seeking exemptions from the mandate.

Lemanu’s latest directive, however, has resulted in ASG workers asking more questions, including parents who had to stay home to care for their children, due to school closures under the declaration. 

ASG Human Resources Department responded in a message posted on their Facebook page telling parents to contact their “immediate supervisor on any internal plans coordinated by your Director and/or CEO for your agency/department.”