Paid Leave During COVID-19
After careful consideration, the University has reset the emergency leave available for faculty, staff, and student workers under the University Emergency Paid Leave for COVID-19 policy. This decision was made because the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ended on December 31, 2020, and the University is committed to providing adequate leave during COVID-19 in order to maintain the health and wellbeing of the University community. Starting January 1, 2021, employees have access to up to two weeks of University Emergency Paid Leave.
Unused emergency leave from 2020 will not carry forward. Full-time employees have 80 hours of University Emergency Paid Leave time available beginning January 1, and those working part time will receive paid leave hours proportionate to the time they work. For example, someone working 50% time receives 40 hours of Emergency Paid Leave, and a student who works an average of 15 hours a week would qualify for up to 30 hours of paid leave.
The Emergency Paid Leave can now be used for time away due to a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. Faculty, staff, and student workers who have an adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccine and need to stay home to recover can use the University Emergency Paid Leave for COVID-19 for this time away from work. This leave can also be used to care for a family member who experiences a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. If you already took time off due to a reaction to the vaccine (either your own or your loved one’s), consult with your unit’s time administrator or your unit human resources staff on using the leave retroactively.
The process for using the University Emergency Paid Leave for COVID-19 will stay the same. When requesting time off in the My Time tab of MyU (or the time-tracking system for your unit), select the absence type "Excused Paid," and "Emergency Pandemic" as the reason. Hourly employees who do not use MyU or another online time-tracking system should report the University Emergency Paid Leave on their timesheet using "Emergency Pandemic Hourly" for the time reporting code. This web page provides detailed instructions on entering this leave.
If you have questions about the University Emergency Paid Leave, please email the OHR Contact Center at [email protected], or call 612-624-8647 or 800-756-2363.