VANCOUVER, Wash. — A Vancouver call center is temporarily closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak, according to Clark County Public Health officials.
Charter Communications' Spectrum customer call center has been closed since May 12. Health officials told KGW that 29 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 over the last month, with two others awaiting test results. The most recent cases were reported on Friday.
“Public Health is working closely with Spectrum Communications,” said Clark County Public Health spokeswoman, Marissa Armstrong. “The facility… will undergo a deep cleaning. Spectrum will also consult with Labor & Industries prior to reopening."
Health officials said employees identified as close contacts must quarantine for a minimum of 10 days before returning to work and everyone who hasn’t been tested for COVID-19 was encouraged to do so.
“We've been told to social distance; it's not possible,” said one Spectrum employee who asked to remain anonymous. She said a manager asked employees not to disclose information about the COVID cases outside the company, including to the media.
“It felt that it was important for people to know and for something to be done,” she said.
The employee said over the last year, the company has been lax about enforcing rules regarding social distancing and mask protocol. She said while many people are working from home, around 175 employees at a time still report to the call center, which she said is about the size of a grocery store. Even so, while working in close-quartered cubicles, she said most employees feel they should go mask-less while talking on the phone, because of ambiguous protocol.
“There was no, “You can't wear [masks],” said the employee, “But it was definitely a— everyone's doing it and it's kind of weird if you're [wearing masks while talking on the phone]. I've been told by managers that you have to have the microphone right up next to your mouth for people to be able to hear you.”
The employee said perhaps most frustrating of all is a recent series of emails to employees from a manager, suggesting it was their fault they got sick from "situations they have encountered outside of this building." The manager also wrote, "when you are not able to be at work, it puts pressure on your co-workers and customers."
“It didn't show care for the employees and it didn't show acknowledgement that there was something going on,” said the employee, “Or what's going to be done to fix it that's actually going to change what's been happening.”
KGW reached out to Charter Communications to ask about those emails. We didn't get an answer to that question, but in a statement, Charter did say they're "working closely with the county and continue to follow state and federal safety guidelines."
"The health and safety of our employees is our highest priority,” wrote Bret Picciolo, Senior Director of Communications for Northwest Region
Charter Communications. “Once we have confirmed with the CCPHD that all the safety precautions have been met, we will reopen our Vancouver facility."
The employee said she hoped everyone who sees this remembers that while the end of the pandemic may be in sight, now is not the time to let your guard down at work or anywhere else.
“It was enough to make people a little worried,” she said.