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Greater Houston Partnership Cautions on Reopening of Office Spaces

Published May 01, 2020 by A.J. Mistretta

HOUSTON (May 1, 2020) – The Greater Houston Partnership today released a statement on behalf of its president and CEO, Bob Harvey regarding confusion surrounding Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Texas Executive Order GA-18 and whether it calls for the return of office workers to the workplace.

“We are suggesting to Houston companies that they delay the return of office workers to the workplace for the time being. Many office-based employees have been able to carry out their tasks remotely for some time now, and as we enter this gradual process of reopening, there is no need to add ‘fuel to the fire’ when it comes to COVID-19 transmission. 

“Governor Abbott is clear in his executive order that we all should minimize contact with people outside our household unless we are providing or obtaining essential or reopened services, and specifically says employees ‘should work from home if possible.’ To me, unless you are an essential worker at one of these companies and you need to be physically present to do your job, commonsense would say you should continue teleworking.”

GA-18 Details
On Monday, April 27, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Texas Executive Order GA-18 to begin the process of reopening the Texas economy. 

According to GA-18, “…every person in Texas shall, except where necessary to provide or obtain essential services or reopened services, minimize social gatherings and minimize in-person contact with people who are not in the same household.”

The order continues, “In providing or obtaining essential services or reopened services, people and businesses should follow the minimum standard health protocols recommended by DSHS, found at www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus and should implement social distancing, work from home if possible, and practice good hygiene, environmental cleanliness, and sanitation.”

Defining Essential Services and Employees
To aid businesses in their efforts to determine if they are an “essential service or reopened service,” the Texas Department of Emergency Management established a webpage to guide that determination.

“Essential services” as defined by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have been permitted to operate on an emergency basis since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Abbott’s order adds a list of “reopened” services as including restaurants, retail, movie theaters, malls, museums and libraries.

CISA’s COVID-19 guidance regarding the workers working for essential companies states, “Workers should be encouraged to work remotely when possible and focus on core business activities. In-person, non-mandatory activities should be delayed until the resumption of normal operations.”

Clarification Regarding Persons Working in an Office
In his list of reopened services designated in GA-18, Governor Abbott states, “Services provided by an individual working alone in an office.” During his announcement on Monday, the Governor stated that “sole practitioners” would be able to reopen.  There was no reference to individual offices in a larger office environment.
 

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Greater Houston Partnership
The Greater Houston Partnership works to make Houston one of the best places to live, work and build a business. As the economic development organization for the Houston region, the Partnership champions growth across 11 counties by bringing together business and civic-minded leaders who are dedicated to the area’s long-term success. Representing 1,100 member organizations and approximately one-fifth of the region’s workforce, the Partnership is the place business leaders come together to make an impact. Learn more at Houston.org.

CONTACT:    

Vice President, Communications         
(c) 504-450-3516 | amistretta@houston.org

Maggie Martin 
Senior Manager, Communications         
mmartin@houston.org 

 

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Houston Business Journal: Houston Business Journal is a newspaper publisher that delivers local business news, breaking news alerts, newsletters, business intelligence and local business networking for the Houston, Texas, region. Website. H-Town Dream Center: H-Town Dream Center is a community center in Splendora, Texas with a mission to give the hope, healing and freedom of Christ to the most vulnerable by feeding the hungry, rescuing women and children in crisis, and educating at-risk youth. Website. Intervene K-12: Intervene K-12 uses data-driven instruction with online small group intervention programs to help K-12 schools improve student outcomes, providing a fully integrated intervention program educators use to drive measurable student growth. Website. Magnum Staffing Services, Inc.: Magnum Staffing Services is a recruiting and staffing solutions firm based in Houston, Texas, specializing in workforce strategy, talent management, and providing staffing solutions for various industries, including warehouse distribution, logistics, manufacturing, and professional services. Website. Metro Houston Charter Bus: Metro Houston Charter Bus is a charter bus rental company providing flexible scheduling, trained drivers, and transparent pricing to make budgeting simple. Website. Minaret Foundation: Minaret Foundation is a multi-faith organization based in Houston, Texas focused on bringing faith communities together by tackling on issues related to child welfare and food insecurity. Website. Moelis & Co.: Moelis & Company is a global independent investment bank that provides financial advisory services to corporations, governments, and financial sponsors. Website. Mo'Kai'Ana Luxury Transport: Mo'Kai'Ana is a luxury chauffeur service for special events in Cypress, TX and the surrounding Houston Area, offering a variety of van services fully licensed by the city of Houston with background checked chauffeurs. Website. One Digital: OneDigital Impact Studio is an insurance brokerage, financial services, and HR consulting firm that provides a centralized platform that equips companies with real-time visibility and heightened control over their organization's total spending. Website. Palletized Trucking, Inc.: Palletized Trucking provides freight transportation services for domestic and international markets shipping through the Port of Houston to sectors including the petrochemical, construction, fabrication, energy, oilfield, and manufacturing industries. Website. Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play Tech Center is an American venture capital firm headquartered in Sunnyvale, California focusing on deploying capital to early-stage technology companies. Website. Rigid Global Buildings: Rigid Global Buildings is metal buildings manufacturer based in Houston, Texas, offering custom and pre-engineered metal building solutions. Website. SKW Real Estate: SKW Real Estate is a real estate agency specializing in buying and selling homes, serving the Houston area. Website. The Hackett Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute: The Hackett Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute is non-profit organization working at the intersection of policy and programs to create equitable systemic changes so all people in Texas, the nation, and the world can obtain the health care they need. Website. Tricon Energy: Tricon Energy is a logistics service in Houston, Texas that offers chemical and plastics trading and distribution services in general and liquid chemical, aromatic, methanol, solvent, chlor alkali, and more. Website. Trinity River Authority: The Trinity River Authority of Texas is a conservation and reclamation district that provides water and wastewater treatment, along with recreation and reservoir facilities, within the nearly 18,000-square-mile Trinity River basin. Website. Venice: The Bridge Church is a nondenominational Christian church serving the Venice, FL, community with a mission to help people find and follow Jesus Christ here and around the world. Website.  Zoho: Zoho is an Indian multinational technology company that makes computer software and web-based business tools designed to help break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency. Website.   Click here to see the Partnership's Membership Directory.   To learn more about membership with the Greater Houston Partnership click here, or contact membership@houston.org.
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