Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employees were told they must wear a face mask during at-home Zoom calls to ‘set a good example.’
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a statewide mandatory mask mandate on August 1, but people are not required to wear a face covering in their own homes.
The head of Wisconsin’s DNR sent an email to employees reminding them that they must always wear a face mask, even while on a Zoom call.
The Kansas Star reported:
TRENDING: BREAKING: Joe Biden Chooses Kamala Harris as VP Nominee – Who Accused Him of Racism
In an email to employees sent out on July 31, the head of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources not only reminded employees of Gov. Tony Evers’ mask order going into effect on Aug. 1, he also said that every DNR employee must wear a mask … even while on a teleconference.
“Also, wear your mask, even if you are home, to participate in a virtual meeting that involves being seen — such as on Zoom or another video-conferencing platform — by non-DNR staff,” Preston Cole said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Set the safety example which shows you as a DNR public service employee care about the safety and health of others.”
DNR spokeswoman Megan Sheridan spoke with McClatchy News and said that employees wearing masks while video conferencing with external partners sets a good example during the pandemic.
“By wearing a mask while video conferencing with the general public, we visually remind folks that masking is an important part of navigating the business of natural resources during this tumultuous time,” Sheridan said.
“We ask staff to wear masks when on externally facing calls is that, taken out of context, a screenshot of a staff person or high ranking department official, if not properly attributed, could be misinterpreted to suggest that state employees are not properly following the Governor’s directive,” DNR spox Megan Sheridan said to McClatchy.
