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GUEST COLUMN
Zoom manners
matter
Have you had a crash course on
Zoom yet? Chances are that you will
– and soon. It is not only an effective
tool for business meetings, people are
now using it for book clubs and even
Bible studies.
The Zoom app skyrocketed in 2013
and is now the #1 app on Apple’s iOS
app chart. The platform enables users
to view one another, collaborate and
share documents in real time. It is easy
to install and user-friendly.
Carey Sue Majors of Expeditions in
Etiquette believes that basic courtesies
may look a little different, but are
easily transferred to Zoom. She helped
me get started on
some basic ABCs
when using the
app:
• Arrive
early and pay
attention. Test
your equipment
beforehand
to ensure it is
SHANNON working properly.
WARREN By the way,
bosses can use an
attention tracking
feature to see if everyone is paying
attention, so avoid multitasking.
• Be quiet. There is no way
to discreetly sneak into a Zoom
room. Movements are distracting.
Interruptions like ringing cellphones,
barking dogs, noisy toddlers, coughing
or rattling papers show a lack of
respect. Eating in front of others is
always impolite, especially if you’re
chowing down on those really crunchy
corn chips. Pick a quiet place in the
house and close the door, then mute
your device.
• Comb your hair. Show your best
self by avoiding the just-got-out-of-
bed look. Dress appropriately, as if
appearing in the office.
• Don’t show your belly button.
Avoid reaching over the camera on
your phone or laptop. And, please
disconnect if nature calls. Don’t be
like the unfortunate woman whose
co-workers “accompanied” her to the
bathroom.
• Eliminate the icky factor. The
bedroom featuring your cross-trainer
with dirty laundry hanging on it is
not the ideal place for a business
conference. However, the app has
a tool that allows users to adjust
their backgrounds to something less
distracting.
• Focus. Participants should look
directly into the camera in order to
keep others engaged. Also, be sure
it is properly positioned at eye level.
Nobody wants to see a close-up of a
receding hairline or fading roots. Even
worse is having to look up a co-worker’s
nose during an hourlong conversation.
A few simple manners will make
Zoom take off and your colleagues will
appreciate the efforts.
Shannon Warren is an entrepreneur,
former HR executive, ethics professor and
founder of two nonprofits dedicated to
promoting integrity in the workplace.
PERSPECTIVES
AROUND TOWN
The latest from Oklahoma Contemporary
Oklahoma Contemporary has
postponed the opening of its new
building, inaugural exhibitions and all
of its new public events. We eagerly
are waiting for the day when we can
safely share the
amazing space,
artworks and
programs. Here
are a few recent
updates.
Following
Centers for Dis-
ease Control and
Prevention and
JOAN city recommenda-
GILMORE tions, facilities
will remain closed
to the public and
most staff members until, at mini-
mum, May 9. All ticket holders and
reservations will be honored when a
new date is set.
The launch of Studio School has
been delayed and spring session
canceled. We hope to begin classes
GUEST COLUMN
Stitt’s order important for essential, nonessential businesses
In a wide expansion of the state’s
efforts to curb the spread of CO-
VID-19, Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued
a “Safer at Home” executive order,
requiring “vulnerable individu-
als” to remain at home statewide
through April 30 and nonessential
businesses to “close” until April 16
in those counties where positive
COVID-19 cases have been de-
tected. The governor’s order raises
significant questions for “essential”
and “nonessential” businesses alike.
Stitt’s executive order defines es-
sential businesses
as those within
a “critical infra-
structure sector”
as defined by the
U.S. Department
of Homeland
Security.
Critical
MICHAEL W. infrastructure
sectors include
BOWLING health care,
public safety
and law enforcement, food services
and agriculture, energy, water and
wastewater, transportation and
logistics, public works, communica-
tions and information technology,
critical manufacturing, hazardous
materials, financial services, chemi-
cals, and the defense industrial
base. (More detail regarding specific
businesses include in each of these
sectors can be found at www.cisa.
gov/publication/guidance-essential-
critical-infrastructure-workforce.)
Ostensibly, companies not operating
within one of these critical infra-
and workshops for adults and teens
this summer.
Creation of member cards has been
temporarily suspended. New cards
will be issued closer to the yet-to-be-
scheduled public opening.
Stay engaged with art by visiting
the Oklahoma Contemporary blog,
New Light, for creative-while-quaran-
tined content.
Save the dates
The Oklahoma City Philharmonic
has completed the schedule of the
Classics Concert Series for 2020-21.
Please note that programming, art-
ists and dates are subject to
change.
Updates will be available at www.
okcphil.org. Jersey Boys and Girls,
which was scheduled for March 20-
21, has been canceled.
The season will culminate with
one of the most monumental
symphonies of all time: Mahler’s
Symphony No. 2, Resurrection.
structure sectors are “nonessential”
and subject to the closure order. The
governor has also indicated that ad-
ditional sectors may be designated
as “essential” in the coming days.
The governor’s press conference
focused heavily on retail outlets and
did not address in detail other busi-
ness sectors. While not mentioned
in the executive order, the press
conference indicated that grocery
stores, gas stations, hospital,
pharmacies, and medical marijuana
dispensaries are essential busi-
nesses. Bars, gyms, movie theaters,
and massage parlors are considered
“nonessential.” Restaurants are not
permitted to maintain dining areas
but are encouraged to provide deliv-
ery and curbside service.
An additional issue is posed by
the governor’s intention that nones-
sential businesses “close.” An expan-
sive reading of “close” could mean
that a business’s physical location
is shuttered with no one working
on the premises at all. On the other
hand, “close” could simply mean
that a business is closed to public
access with workers potentially
continuing to work inside. Further
guidance from the governor’s office
will be necessary for businesses to
truly understand the scope of the
close order.
In the meantime, at a minimum,
nonessential businesses should
expect to remain closed to public
access until at least April 16, 2020.
Also, if they have not already, all
businesses should take reasonable
steps to implement social distancing
Upward Transitions
With COVID-19 precautions being
taken in the community, the folks at
Upward Transitions are very aware of
the vulnerabilities to the homeless com-
munity. Upward Transitions is open
and continuing to serve our neighbors
experiencing homelessness or those at
risk of homelessness.
The organization offers aid to those
folks to access stable housing and health
care. The following measures have been
taken at Upward Transition offices.
Lobby seating has been changed to
allow more spacing between clients
waiting.
Clients have been asked to not con-
gregate in the lobby.
Staff has increased the frequency of
sanitation of common items such as
phones and doorknobs.
Hand sanitizers have been made
available throughout the office.
Measures have been taken to move
to phone-based case management when
possible.
in the workplace and to convert
those workers who can work re-
motely to telework arrangements.
Finally, adults over age 65 and
those with serious underlying
medical conditions – referred to
as “vulnerable individuals” – are
directed to remain at home through
April 30, 2020, unless employed by
an essential business. (Note: While
the executive order itself does not
mention this date, it was men-
tioned during the governor’s press
conference.)
For essential businesses, the
governor’s order does not represent
a “quarantine or isolation order”
that would qualify an employee to
use emergency paid sick leave under
the Families First Coronavirus Re-
sponse Act, since workers in these
businesses are specifically exempt-
ed. All businesses, whether essential
or not, should remain responsive,
though, to the potential need to
accommodate leave for employees
with underlying health conditions
as part of their obligations under
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While the governor’s order
represents a substantial step in
Oklahoma’s response to CO-
VID-19, businesses should look
forward to further guidance from
the governor’s office to provide
greater specificity regarding their
continued operations in the time of
COVID-19.
Michael W. Bowling is a Crowe &
Dunlevy attorney and member of the
Labor & Employment Practice Group.