Sheriffs, staff feel ‘disrespected’ by handling of COVID-19 at Surrey courthouse

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — A number of sheriffs and staff working at the Surrey Provincial Courthouse feel they’ve been let down by management and their union as COVID-19 spreads through the building.

This comes after several employees tested positive for COVID-19, forcing more than 20 others into isolation. Multiple sources say everyone who works at the courthouse is being tested for the virus, and several people who work at there have reached out to share their concerns about the situation is being handled.

RELATED: Surrey Courthouse hit by COVID-19, all workers tested after sheriffs contract virus

One employee, who agreed to speak with NEWS 1130 under the condition of anonymity, says everyone who works there is still expected to show up, even while waiting for their COVID-19 test results.

“People that are positive and asymptomatic [could still be] interacting with people who are negative, or maybe people who haven’t gotten coronavirus yet,” they say, adding they’re concerned when tests do come back, they won’t be accurate since transmission could still be happening.

While some positions require staff to be physically in the building, the employee says there are jobs that could be done at home.

“Honestly, as an employee, I feel like we’re not being respected. We’ve shared our concerns with our employer throughout the whole situation. We’ve asked for working from home, we’ve been denied.”

Why isn’t the Surrey Courthouse shut down as staff await their COVID-19 results? Workers have that question & tell me they feel disrespected, and that management is letting them down. Listen @NEWS1130 as we hear their concerns. #COVID19

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 27, 2020

Fraser Health, in a statement, says an outbreak has not been declared. Rather, the cases constitute a “cluster” confined to “one department.”

“All cases and high-risk contacts have been notified. Additional testing was done to detect any people who were infected with COVID-19 but do not have symptoms and may be able to infect others,” it reads.

“The Surrey courthouse remains a safe place to work and receive services. In conjunction with the recent investigation, environmental health officers assessed courthouse operations and found no significant concerns with the COVID-19 safety protocols.”

More than nine hours after I asked Fraser Health why people who work at the Surrey Courthouse weren’t told to isolate while awaiting test results for #COVID19, I’ve been assured it remains “a safe place to work.”

Full statement from Fraser Health: pic.twitter.com/H8Iy6RKxfV

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 28, 2020

Management questioned over lack of transparency 

The employee says management didn’t inform staff of the virus being in the building while people continued sharing common areas of the courthouse.

“The fact that information was held from other court staff was extremely disturbing and the fact that the outbreak wasn’t shared with the public has honestly questioned management’s understanding of the situation with COVID-19 and their ability to handle it in general.”

Other staff say not everyone was notified about the coronavirus cases at the same time. Sheriffs were reportedly informed a week in advance of other staff about a COVID-19 exposure, because it affected a sheriff specifically. Another person who works at the courthouse feels everyone should have been notified at that time, because of the level of interaction between sheriffs and other court workers.

In one nightmare story, a sheriff tells me he was only informed of a prisoner’s #COVID19 status when it came up during a court proceeding.

He was only given a Level 1 mask, standard for sheriffs. As he hands off to a nurse, she’s wearing full PPE. https://t.co/IG7wvEcKZp

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 27, 2020

In one troubling incident, a sheriff discloses he wasn’t notified of a prisoner’s COVID-19 status until it was brought up in a court proceeding as he stood watch.

For the most part, the worker says they feel staff haven’t been able to rely on their union or management to feel protected.

Sheriffs shuffled as virus spreads

There’s a pool system where sheriffs can fill in when there are gaps in the schedule. When there were absences due to COVID-19 at the Surrey courthouse in recent weeks, sheriffs were called to cover the shifts before heading to a different courthouse the next day.

Some sheriffs say they now refuse to go to Surrey.

“A lot of the staff have had interactions with people who are COVID-positive,” says the employee, referencing communal areas. Because of the exposure, they add the courthouse hasn’t been able to be fully staffed without relying on the pool system.

One of key concerns sheriffs are highlighting to me: there’s a pool system, in which sheriffs fill in when certain courthouses need extra staff. Sheriffs were called in to fill in for COVID-19 absences, and then working in other courthouses next day. Some refuse to go to Surrey.

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 27, 2020

They are essential workers who are relied on to keep the court system running, but the lack of transparency is disrespectful, court employees say.

“Right now, everyone’s feeling a little bit defeated,” they say. “A lot of us have people at home or ourselves that are at risk to the coronavirus.”

From speaking with a number of sheriffs, the overall feeling wasn’t even one of anger. It was sadness. These folks deal with a lot of difficult situations. People spitting on them isn’t unusual, for example. But they feel a sense of duty. One man told me he’s planning to quit.

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 27, 2020

The risk isn’t limited to the exposed courthouse staff either, the anonymous employee says.

“We have a duty to let the public know about their safety,” they say.

The employee adds many of those who have to be there for remand court for bail or custody hearings in-person are often from marginalized communities and don’t have the ability to appear by phone.

RELATED: 3 staff at Surrey Pretrial test positive for COVID-19

“They have to physically make the trip, taking transit exposing themselves further to physically come to the courthouse,” they say. “But to know that they don’t know that there’s an outbreak and they’re willingly going to court to make sure that they don’t get a warrant, it’s unfair to them because they may not have proper access to healthcare or hygiene.”

Employer response ‘outrageous’: union

The president of the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU), which represents courthouse workers, provided the following statement to NEWS 1130 Friday.

“What we’ve heard from our members about COVID prevention and response in courthouses — Surrey and elsewhere in BC — is outrageous. Employers are responsible for workplace safety and this employer is putting our members and others who work in courthouses at unacceptable and unnecessary risk,” Danielle Marchand writes in an email.

“Clearly their safety plan is not working. We are working with our members to make sure they understand their rights and how to exercise them and that they know they can always count on the support of their union. At the same time, we’re pushing their employer to take immediate action — specifically we want an end to the ‘float pool’ that has our members working in multiple locations; improved safety plans for courthouses with strict adherence to the PHO’s orders including rules about room capacities, physical distancing, leave time and mandatory masks; a clear commitment to share more information more quickly with workers and our union; and a return to remote work wherever it’s appropriate.”

NEWS 1130 has contacted the Attorney General’s office. Attorney General David Eby was not available for comment.