The Department of Public Health issued guidelines for state worker mask usage Thursday, including a warning to workers not to personally enforce the requirement.

The updated guidance follows Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Thursday that everyone in the state must wear masks when they’re in public, a measure he’s taking to slow the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

The guidance appears to attempt to avoid potential conflicts.

“State employees and other workers should be instructed to NEVER approach coworkers or members of the public who are not wearing a face covering, for the purpose of attempting to enforce any face-covering recommendation or requirement,” reads the guidance that the California Department of Human Resources emailed to departments.

Workers should instead raise any concerns with supervisors, according to the guidance. The guidance says employers should take reasonable measures to remind workers that they should use face coverings, and that employers should provide coverings or reimburse workers for supplying their own.

Under the guidelines, state workers must wear masks at the workplace and when working off-site

The guidance exempts state workers with medical conditions, mental health conditions or disabilities from the requirement, along with those who are deaf or talking with someone who is deaf or for whom wearing a mask would create a risk in their work.

State workers should wear masks in the following circumstances, according to the email:

▪ Interacting in-person with any member of the public;

▪ Working in any space visited by the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;

▪ Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;

▪ Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;

▪ In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present;

▪ Waiting for or riding on public transportation or in a for-hire vehicle, or in a vehicle during work-related travel with others; or

▪ While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a 6-foot physical distance from others is not feasible.

This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 12:05 PM with the headline "California issues mask rules for state workers with warning: Leave enforcement to bosses."