HR Guidance and FAQs (covid-19)

Healthy at Work Training

The need for flexibility is essential.

EKU is taking measures to help mitigate the potential impact of COVID-19 on our campuses and in the Commonwealth. It is important to be as flexible as possible with our employees’ work schedules while also ensuring that we maintain adequate staffing to meet the needs of our students, faculty, and staff colleagues.

Please work directly with your managers and supervisors to ensure adequate staffing of your respective units by balancing flexibility and coverage of duties. It is essential that employees who work remotely or flex their hours are adequately supervised; have the resources needed to complete their job duties, expected tasks, and services; and are held accountable for their work. We trust our employees and want to ease the challenges associated with the COVID-19 response statewide while also ensuring that essential business continues to be conducted at the University.

Can supervisors allow their employees to work from home?

The University is currently open and in most circumstances employees are expected to be working at their official University workstations during normal operating hours. For medically necessary reasons, however, some employees may be eligible to telework as a workplace accommodation issued by Human Resources. Additionally, some employees may reach an agreement with their supervisors to telework pursuant to the University’s Teleworking Policy (8.3.8) and Telework Agreement Form when such an arrangement would still meet the needs, interests, and mission of the University. Supervisors must confirm with their area VP before granting permission for an employee to work from home under the Teleworking Policy (8.3.8).

Employees who are interested in a workplace accommodation for medical reasons should contact Tarena Tyree in Human Resources at either tarena.tyree@eku.edu or (859) 622-1325. Please also visit https://hr.eku.edu/job-accommodation-0. 

Employees who are interested in a telework arrangement that is not a part of a workplace accommodation should review the Teleworking Policy (8.3.8) and associated Telework Agreement Form with their supervisor. Please contact Human Resources with any questions at either human.resources@eku.edu or (859) 622-5094. The Teleworking Policy (8.3.8) is available here (under ‘T’) and the Teleworking Agreement Form is available here (also under ‘T’).

Can I bring my child with me to work?

To comply with the University’s liability insurance guidelines and to mitigate the spread of illness, minor children should not accompany employees to campus for their safety and ours. Please also refer to the University’s Protection of Minors on Campus Policy (9.3.5), which can be accessed here (under ‘P’).

If an employee works from home, what are the expectations of that employee?

• Please observe the following non-exhaustive list. Additionally, please refer to the University’s Teleworking Policy (8.3.8), available here (under ‘T’), for additional information as well as the Telework Agreement Form, available here (under ‘T’).
• The employee must be able to perform all work necessary to their position and job duties just as they would if working in the office.
• Employees will be accountable for the quality and timeliness of their work in the same manner they would be accountable if working in the office.
• If an employee is unable to perform an essential task from home, the employee is required to notify their supervisor in a timely manner so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
• Employees working from home will be on duty during their regular business hours.
• Employees are expected to respond to all phone calls and communications in a timely manner, just as they would be required to do if working in the office.
• Employees must stay in frequent contact with their supervisors. Employees will be required to use vacation/sick/leave time for periods in which they are not on duty, just as they would be required to do so if working in the office.
• Employees must make their supervisors aware of any expected time away from their duties, just as they would be required to do so if working in the office.
• Supervisors have discretion to permit or deny leave time requests just as they ordinarily do.

Can I stop by my office to collect items necessary for work?

Yes, unless you are sick or under quarantine. The University campus is not closed, and most employees will be working on campus as usual.

What if I am a Designated Employee who is required to be available for work (either at home or on campus) during an interruption or changes to normal, routine University operations?

Employees who have been identified as “Designated Employees” will be contacted by their supervisor to affirm their work plans, either from home or on campus. Remember, the campus is not closed, and many employees, whether Designated Employees or not, will be working on campus as usual.

Can supervisors require employees to go home?

Yes. For the safety of the campus community, supervisors can require employees to leave campus. Under present circumstances, an employee will be required to either leave campus or not come to work if:

• The employee is symptomatic of COVID-19 and is awaiting possible diagnosis, or has been diagnosed as having COVID-19.
• The employee has been in recent close contact with someone who is symptomatic of COVID-19 and is awaiting diagnosis, or who has been diagnosed as having COVID-19.
• Other circumstances as necessary where an employee’s presence might imperil the safety of University employees, students, and/or the public. 

Can an employee refuse to go home?

No. Employees who refuse to abide by a supervisor’s directive to leave campus could be found in violation of the University’s Employee Conduct Policy (8.3.3), which prohibits behavior by employees that imperils the safety of University employees or the public.

If I am required to leave campus because I am symptomatic of, or been diagnosed with, COVID-19, how long will I be required to stay off campus?

Please follow the guidance and recommendations of contact tracers who reach out to you as well as the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your physician and local and state government health officials. Please also keep in frequent contact with your supervisor as to your anticipated date of return. In all circumstances you must not return to campus until you have been cleared by either your primary healthcare professional or the local health department. The overall goal is to not pose an increased risk of spreading COVID-19 to others.

What should I do if I’m not sure about coming in to work, because I am symptomatic of COVID-19?

You should err on the side of caution in all circumstances. Please contact a medical professional, stay home, and contact Human Resources and your supervisor as soon as possible to discuss your individual situation and appropriate plans will be arranged.

If I am sent home, will I still get paid?

Please observe the following chart. The information below is for general information only and will be in effect only until COVID-19 no longer poses a primary concern for the community. The information below is subject to change without notice. Due to the unique and emergency nature of the circumstances, individual situations will vary depending on multiple circumstances pertaining to those situations. Please contact Human Resources for specific information, including information about approvals, about your own unique situation.