More than 100 Westmoreland County employees returning to work

More than 100 of the 475 furloughed employees from Westmoreland County have already returned to work, and another wave of workers is expected to be brought back next week.

“We are taking a very staged approach in bringing people back so that we have the time to get the proper installations in placed in some cases it means rearranging offices completely so desk are within 6 feet,” Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew said.

Those workers were furloughed in mid-March, but bringing them back to full capacity will be a process.

“Part of our job is to make sure the CDC requirements of social distancing and sneeze screens or some sort of plexiglass in front to protect a worker and customers coming in from the outside,” Chew said.

Chew said they’re not focusing so much on the governor's color-coded plan but more on what department needs it most based on workload.

“Next week, anybody related to clerk of courts, the prothonotary, the courts themselves, those are people that will come back first. And then the treasurer’s office might be later,” Chew said.

Commissioners said they don’t expect any permanent furloughs and hope to have full staffing back by the end of July.

County commissioners said they’re hopeful the announcement will be made Friday that Westmoreland County will be moving to the green phase by June 5.

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and Pittsburgh Municipal courts back in session on Monday Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and Pittsburgh Municipal courts back in session on Monday

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