Flynn allows assistant district attorneys & support staff to work from home due to COVID-19 concerns

Limited number of employees will report to office for essential operations

Erie County DA encourages everyone to stay home to stay healthy this holiday season

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced the majority of the office’s staff will not report in-person for work effective Thursday. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office made the decision, in consultation with Erie County and its Department of Health, in an effort to reduce the number of employees inside the buildings and prevent the spread of COVID-19. More than 75% of the DA’s office employees will be permitted to work from home through the end of the year.

A total of seven employees have tested positive for COVID-19. The majority of the positive cases were reported in recent weeks.

Earlier this week, Flynn allowed all assistant district attorneys to work from home unless they are scheduled to appear for court. The decision reduced the number of employees reporting to the Erie County Court and Buffalo City Court buildings by over 50%.

Now, a limited number of support staff (approximately 15 people) will report to the office for work. The DA’s office created a duty roster of employees to handle essential in-person operations. There are seven support staffers who are unable to work from home due to the nature of their duties. The DA’s office made arrangements with the Department of Health to allow those individuals to assist with COVID-19 contact tracing from their home.

Flynn, his front office, and all confidential criminal investigators will continue to report to the office, which employs approximately 175 people. These staffing changes will reduce the total number of people reporting to work by approximately 78% until the end of the year.

The DA’s office will continue to monitor reports from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office and the Erie County Department of Health regarding the positivity rates in the region. The office will reevaluate the work-from-home decision in January 2021.