COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. -- Columbus County employees are required to go back to their regular work schedule starting Monday, June 1.

For almost two months people have been teleworking or staggering schedules for distancing purposes during COVID-19. County Commissioner Chair P. Edwin Russ says he, other commissioners, the county manager, and the health department agreed on this decision.

"Each building is going to have hand sanitizer, that's a big thing, and we are going to try to have face masks for everybody," Russ says.

Employees will be encouraged to wear masks, but they are not required. 

A county employee anonymously emailed Spectrum News, expressing their concern for this move. They said they are being forced to work in unsafe conditions.

The employee asks, "What reason is worth the risk to your employees' and citizens' health that we cannot continue to operate safely for another two weeks to a month?"

Russ says divisions like the health department are getting backed up because of limited services with a reduced staff.

Nonetheless, some employees are worried.

"Some [workers] are in close quarters with other employees. It's like people at the top can't seem to realize it only takes one person being careless to infect a bunch of others," the employee said.

Kim Smith, the county public health director says this should not impact coronavirus cases.

"Wear a face covering, wash your hands, and stay your social distance," Smith says. "There should not be a spike in our cases because of county employees going back to work."

Russ says sick employees or those who don't want to go back to work will be handled on a case by cases basis.