LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Nebraska state employees' union will deliver more than 1,600 petitions Wednesday to Gov. Pete Ricketts' office demanding that he give all state workers the option to work from home if their jobs allow it.
The petitions also call for an extra $2 an hour in "hazard pay" for those who have to work in-person during the coronavirus pandemic.
"State employees are concerned and they are anxious,"said Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees. "We need the governor to take action to ensure their safety."
Hubly said the only safeguard in some state offices is a bottle of hand sanitizer. The union has also questioned why call-center employees aren't allowed to do their jobs from home.
Ricketts has said it isn't possible for all state employees to work from home because the state still has to provide essential services. He has said employees with concerns about their work environment should talk to their managers.