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Volume XI • Issue 540May 12, 2020PIPELINEWEEKLY
Bill de Blasio, MayorVincent Sapienza, P.E., Commissioner
We are NYC DEP essential workersAs we continue to celebrate our field staff for their tireless efforts in maintaining key services during the pandemic, it’s equally important to recognize the hard work of other staff within our organization who are helping to ensure the continuity of other critical functions including payroll management, maintaining Agency COVID related metrics, handling employee benefits issues (including the newly established Families First Coronavirus Response Act), working with our unions, and assisting DEP bureaus with establishing alternate work schedules. So this week, special “shout outs” go to Elizabeth Perez, Director of Payroll; Aimee Edwards, Director of Human Resources (Workforce Development and Training); Tarlisha Coleman, Director of Employee Benefits and Extended Leaves; Aaron Feinstein, Executive Director of Labor Relations and Discipline; and Johnny Vasser, Director of Labor Relations and Discipline in recognition of going above and beyond in managing their assigned areas.
We are NYC DEP essential workersNeedless to say that protecting public health during a pandemic is an essential job so we say thank you to Sewage Treatment Worker Chris Timoney who is based out of DEP’s 26th Ward Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility in southern Brooklyn. The facility operates 24/7 and serves more than a quarter-million Brooklynites. Chris and his colleagues monitor operations at the facility, perform any necessary maintenance and do sampling to ensure the protection of Jamaica Bay.
As we near the end of the NY On Pause Order this Friday, the public health indicators across New York City, while still upsetting, are nonetheless encouraging in that they continue to trend in a downward trajectory. While we anticipate portions of the state to begin to re-open as that Order expires, we also know that we have more work to do in the five
boroughs and across portions of the watershed. So, as we all continue to do our part to ensure DEP’s critical functions continue uninterrupted, and as we contribute to the citywide effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, I will utilize this space to highlight a few of our colleagues who carry out their essential duties every day, no matter the challenges. Due to limited space we could never recognize everyone that deserves it, so here are just a few of the many, many DEP employees who are going above and beyond during this difficult time. Thank you all!
With the nicer weather upon us and parks beginning to reopen, we may find ourselves heading outside to walk, hike, run or bike. While this can certainly provide exercise and a welcome change of scenery, we must still remember to practice safety guidelines—this includes social distancing and wearing face coverings. Additionally, if you are not feeling well or suspect you may have been exposed to COVID-19, it is still best to stay at home. The following tips can help keep you safe outdoors:• visit parks that are close to
your home• avoid areas where you
cannot stay at least 6 feet away from others
• avoid gathering with people outside of your household
• do not engage in group sports or share any equipment, and avoid touching surfaces
• bring hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol to use if soap and water are not available
• visit NYC Parks and NYS Parks for up to date information on which areas or services are open, such as bathroom facilities
You can view this video from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on how to properly wear a face mask, and visit our COVID-19 page for more information.
Exercising Outdoors
Spotlight on Safety
Vincent Sapienza Commissioner
Commissioner’s Corner
At DEP, everyone is responsible for safety. If you or anyone on your team is concerned about your working conditions, it’s okay to ask your supervisor or your bureau’s EHS liaison how they can help. If you’ve still got questions, you can call the EHS Employee Concerns Hotline. It’s DEP’s responsibility to acknowledge and fix unsafe situations, procedures, and practices. With your help, we’ll not only get the job done, we’ll make it safer for ourselves, our coworkers, our families, and our city. CALL (800) 897-9677 OR SEND A MESSAGE THROUGH EH&S EMPLOYEE CONCERNS. HELP IS ON THE WAY.
We welcome your feedback! To submit an announcement or suggestion, please email us at:
During the ongoing crisis, most of us are playing several roles —including parent, caregiver, employee, teacher, gatherer of provisions, and morale booster for loved ones—all while man-aging our own distress. At the same time, many of us are feeling a level of shame over not being as productive, as responsive, as confident, and as “in control” of our feelings as we usually expect of ourselves, even though that is not the same standard we would hold others to during this time. While we show compassion for others who are dealing with these same issues, we are often harder on ourselves, feel guilt that we are not performing to an imagined (and often unrealistic) standard, and feel anxious that others will judge us poorly. This phenomena is often referred to as “the inner critic,” and is the voice of our own perceived shortcomings. While its function is to help motivate us to a higher standard both morally and productively, it often serves to drain us and presents an inaccu-rate picture of who we are to the world. We judge ourselves harsh-ly and unconsciously assume others see the same picture. The reality is that we are simply our own worst critic. During normal times, it’s hard enough to keep this part of ourselves in its place but in extraordinary times our “in-ner critic” can become very loud and persuasive, resulting in a feeling of “failing.” To those shak-ing their heads in agreement, we suggest that you show the same level of compassion to yourself as you would to others and am offer these suggestions:Cut Yourself Some Slack: Sudden changes in lifestyle, additional re-sponsibilities, alterations in sched-ules and routines, and prolonged uncertainty do not set people up for optimal performance or cre-ativity. It is unrealistic to compare our performance now to how it is under normal circumstances. The world is charting a new path in response to this crisis and we are all adjusting. How people adjust varies and everyone is adjusting at their own pace, so don’t expect more from yourself.Prioritize Self-Care: While working to capacity, both physically and
mentally, one may start noticing a greater difficulty in managing emotions and prioritizing effec-tively. This is because while some people are good at mobilizing in-ternal resources for short sprints of time, this is not a short sprint but more of a marathon. In order to replenish our mental energy, we need to feed ourselves men-tally. Unfortunately, this mental nourishment is often the first thing we forego, assuming since it is only for ourselves it can be put off. We feel guilty taking time out and going for a short walk, having coffee with a loved one, reading a book, or engaging in a hobby because we mistakenly feel we should be able to tolerate going without pleasure when there are things to be done. The truth is that self-care provides the mental fuel needed to perform optimally dur-ing a long-term crisis. By taking care of your own needs, you will find strength to care for the needs of others.Change the Narrative: The other side of the coin from the “inner critic” is the nurturer. While the critic focuses on what we are lacking, the nurturer focuses on what we are capable of. When feeling powerless or hopeless, it’s important to challenge the thoughts causing these feelings by asking if there is another way to more realistically see the situa-tion. An example is someone who is struggling with the thought that they are “letting others down” by not having the solutions, might do well to remember they are also working as hard as they can under stressful conditions to al-leviate complex problems without precedent to follow. By altering what we tell ourselves we can al-ter how we feel.Of course these things are easier said than done. If you would like to talk further about this or anything you may be experiencing, please reach out to one of the many re-sources available such as:• NY WELL: 888-NYCWELL• OLR’s EAP: 212-306-7660 or
[email protected]• DC 37’s PSU: 212-815-1250• DEP’s Office of Staff Support
and Assistance: 718-595-3424 or [email protected]
Self-Compassion During a Pandemic
Back in early March, Commissioner Sapienza sat down with Randy Cohen for an episode of his radio show Person Place Thing in front of a live audience at the City’s Municipal Archives. In the photo, the Commissioner is joined by (L. to R.) Dept. of Records and Information Services Commissioner Pauline Toole, Randy, and DEP’s Director of Records and Archive Management Samar Qandil. In the episode, Commissioner Sapienza gives Randy a historical look at the City’s water system. Listen to the episode.
Person Place Thing
DEP’s Director of Education Robin Sanchez recently sat down (remotely) with the Department of Education’s Office of Sustainability to provide a COVID-19 update on the City’s water systems for their network of educators. Watch the video.
NYC Water Systems Update for DOE
Residents recently ranked DEP the #1 water utility for customer satisfaction in the northeast U.S. The J.D. Power U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study measured satisfaction among residential customers of 90 water utilities that deliver water to at least 400,000 customers and is reported in four geographic regions and two size categories. Overall satisfaction is measured by examining 33 attributes in six factors (listed in order of importance): quality and reliability; price; conservation; billing and payment; communications; and customer service. Kudos to all on this tremendous recognition!
DEP #1 in Customer Satisfaction
