Campus COVID-19 update for faculty and staff (UPDATED)
Dear Colleagues,
As our traditional students and many other members of the Regis community prepare to return to our campuses next week, I am writing to share an update about how the University is working to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on all campuses.
The University is closely monitoring this severe respiratory illness and is in close contact with local and state public health officials to ensure the health and safety of the Regis community. Our Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) has been meeting regularly to establish protocols and contingency plans.
As a result, I am sharing the following recommendations, which are in accordance with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Your safety is important to us. Please read these guidelines carefully and keep them in mind throughout your day.
What should I do if I return from travel to a country that has been designated by the Center of Disease Control as having a Level 3 travel health notice or higher?
Regis University requests that you voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days following your last day in a country that has a CDC Level 3 travel alert or higher and practice social distancing, while you monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 which appear 2-14 days after exposure and may include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
What to do if an employee reports they have been diagnosed with COVID-19?
If an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, the employee should report the diagnosis to human resources or their manager. The employee will be sent home. The manger should advise human resources as soon as possible. Regis University’s human resources department will inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, while maintaining confidentiality related to the both the reporting employee’s identity and condition as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Note: All employees who worked closely with that employee should work from home for a 14-day period of time to ensure the infection does not spread. Before the diagnosed employee departs, Human Resources will ask them to identify all individuals who worked in close proximity* in the previous 14 days to ensure the University has a full list of those who should be placed in self-quarantine.
*Defined as three to six feet for ten minutes or more; according to CDC this does not transmit by casual contact, e.g. seeing someone in the restroom, but only within a meter or more in a closed area for more than ten minutes with them.
Can I refuse to work with or in the same space as a co-worker who has just returned from travel that I believe may have exposed them to COVID-19?
No – the fact that a co-worker traveled to a place reported to have an outbreak of COVID-19 or through an airport, without symptoms, direct exposure or a diagnosis of acute respiratory illness or COVID-19, is not a basis for refusing to work with your co-worker. This includes student workers as well.
Can an employee refuse to travel based on concerns related to the COVID-19?
An employee can only refuse to work when a realistic threat is present. Travel to a location that has been designated with a CDC Level 3 travel alert or higher and or higher is a realistic threat. At this time, travel to other locations, or work around other people or the public, such as in an airplane, does not pose a realistic threat. However, as a practical matter, managers may wish to consider offering employees reasonable alternatives to such travel. Following CDC guidelines, Regis is restricting all University-sponsored travel to Level 3 infected countries (again, those are all countries in Europe (except Ireland and the United Kingdom) , South Korea, China and Iran, to date). While we cannot restrict community members’ personal travel to these areas, please reconsider any plans you have to visit a Level 3 country.
When can I use accrued sick time?
If you are sick, stay home. Staff and student workers should continue to follow their unit’s procedure for requesting sick time off. For example, if your duties cannot be performed remotely and you have a significant health concern that makes you feel unsafe in the workplace. Sick time off can also be used if you have had direct exposure to COVID-19 and you have been directed to complete a 14-day self-quarantine. Human resource is available to offer guidance.
What if my child’s school or regular care provider is closed?
When regularly scheduled care plans are interrupted due to a school, camp, facility closure and/or the unexpected absence of a care provider, employees may work from home with supervisor approval, utilize sick or vacation time. Please work with your supervisor to manage this time away. Please consult Human Resources for further guidance.
What if I am considered part of the high- risk population as defined by the CDC?
Consider options to work from home. Please work with your supervisor to develop a communication strategy to understand expectations if approved to work remotely. Alternative work arrangements are temporary and will be re-evaluated periodically during this time period. You can also utilize sick or vacation time. We asked supervisors to support employees in managing your time away. Please consult Human Resources for further guidance.
If I’m not feeling well, how do I know whether to stay home? What if a family member is ill?
If you are not feeling well, please stay home. Sick time is available for use during these circumstances. It is also available if you need to stay home to care for a family member who is not feeling well. Please notify your direct supervisor as soon as possible and make sure that the time away is accounted for/recorded on your timesheets or leave reports. Please contact Human Resources to address specific situations or for additional questions.
How many hours of sick time have I accrued?
Your current sick time hours are accessible online through Workday, ruworks.regis.edu.
What if my family members and I are healthy and my child’s school/care provider is open, but I am still concerned about coming to work - can I use sick time? Can I use vacation?
You may not use sick time in this instance. You may use vacation but the normal process for using vacation would still apply (you would need to secure prior approval from both your supervisor to use vacation and you would need to account for the time on the timesheets or leave reports).
What other benefits should I know about?
As an UHC or Kaiser member you can seek some medical support electronically to avoid an in-person office visit. A telemedicine option is available to all UHC and Kaiser members 24/7. Through the telemedicine option you can speak to a licensed provider by phone or video within minutes. Costs will depend on your selected medical plan.
Work from Home
How do I request authorization to work from home?
You must request authorization to work from home from your supervisor. Your supervisor will consider a number of factors including:
· The service needs of the community;
· The nature of the work being performed;
· Whether the employee is exempt or nonexempt (eligible for overtime pay);
· The feasibility of using the home environment for work; and
· Whether campus health and safety or health and safety of the employee is at risk.
Some positions and departments may proactively assign people to work from home. Not all roles at Regis University lend themselves to work from home so communication with your supervisor is key.
If I am approved to work from home are there best practices to consider?
There is a detailed guide for telecommuting on the employee resource page of the Human Resources website. Here are a few quick suggestions:
· Designate “office” space. Create a quiet place to concentrate and spread out. Find an area in which work-related material can be stored and organized and secured.
· Establish work hours. Develop a schedule and stick to it. If at all possible, adhere to the same work schedule that is followed on campus. You need to plan to be available during this time for co-workers, etc.
· Communicate early, often and on a schedule. Communication can often be taken for granted when working on campus since people can drop in or ask question informally. Working from home means that communication must be more formal and intentional. Consider set times each day for calls to discuss progress, check in, or get updates. Explore the use of technology to provide face to face interactions so that all the nuances of communication can occur.
· Anticipate interruptions and manage outside demands. Establish rules or guidelines for yourself and others to make it clear that you are engaged on your job/work and not available for non-essential issues.
Work study questions
Will students continue to be paid even if they don’t work?
No, this is not the case. It is important to remind them that the University is still open and operational. Although we are moving classes on line we still have students on campus that need our services.
Can students still work while classes are suspended and then moved to online?
Yes! Please let your students know that they can continue to work as normally scheduled.
Can students work more hours since classes will be online?
School is still in session so they should not exceed the 20-hour weekly limit for hours worked. They also do not want to exceed the amount of their work study awards before the end of the term so they should plan to work their regular schedule.
What if my student can’t perform their duties with the athletic or event cancellations?
If a student within your department is not able to perform their regular duties due to athletic or event cancellations we ask that you identify other duties for them to do.
Cura personalis
As noted in last week’s e-mail, remember the following for both you and your staff:
IN ALL THINGS, KINDNESS
In keeping with our Jesuit values, we ask that we please remember to continue to support one another during this time. Please don’t jump to the conclusion that a person coughing next to you has COVID-19 and please do not scapegoat people or resort to xenophobic behaviors. If you witness such behavior on any of our campuses, please intercede. If you would like to file a complaint, please use the Bias Incident Report Form . We are women and men for and with others always and especially during a public health crisis.
MORE ABOUT SELF-CARE
If the news and other communications around COVID-19 cause you distress, please remember we have the following services available.
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Student counseling services (Coors Center, room 114): 303.458.3507
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University Ministry (Student Center, room 214): 303.458.4153
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Regis Centers for Counseling & Family Therapy (Thornton campus): 303.964.5786
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Colorado Crisis Services: 1.844.493.TALK (8255) or www.ColoradoCrisisServices.org
Never suffer alone. Please reach out to a professional, a friend or a colleague. Stay connected. And make sure you pursue accurate information from credible news sources.
Please feel free to contact Human Resources at HRinfo@regis.edu with any additional questions. You can also review the Employee Handbook for additional information regarding University policies.
Please know we are doing everything we can to keep our community safe, and to do this, we need your help. Please scrupulously follow the guidelines in this letter.
I wish you a happy and healthy spring.
Best,
Liz Whitmore
Associate Vice President, Human Resources
CAMPUS RESOURCES
ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE RESOURCES