As part of the state effort to control the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a statewide stay-at-home order that went into effect immediately. The order does not apply to workers in essential businesses, which includes agriculture.
In some parts of the state, the order is being aggressively enforced by local law enforcement. Reports are circulating that some employees have been stopped on their way to and from work and asked to return home.
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) recommends all members provide their employees with a letter stating that they are an employee of an essential business. All employees should keep the letter with them while traveling to and from work.
The letter should be on company letterhead and signed by a company manager. CCM recommends the following wording: “According to the Department of Homeland Security’s Guidance On The Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, dated March 19, 2020, food and agriculture are deemed a critical infrastructure that must be maintained during the COVID-19 crisis. (Company Name) is an agricultural business that is critical to the food supply chain, and (Employee Name) is an essential employee of the business.”
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