Extension of COVID-19 Administrative Leave Provisions

Published May 08, 2020 by
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As of March 3, 2021

Campus Community: 

The UNC System Office has updated the COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave Provisions that were effective Jan. 1, 2021. These updated provisions are effective through June 30, 2021, or until revised or rescinded.

Please see a summary of the updated provisions below:

  • Permanent and temporary employees may use paid work time to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during work hours, with supervisor approval, not to exceed eight hours in a single day. This paid work time is also provided for a second dose of the vaccine, if required, also not to exceed eight hours in a single day. Supervisors may request employees to provide proof the vaccine was received to have the use of work time approved. Supervisors should consult with Employee Relations on what would be appropriate to request from employees.
    • Since this leave may be applied retroactively to Jan. 1, 2021, any employee who used personal leave to receive their vaccine since Jan. 1, 2021, will need to work with their supervisor and Kronos SuperAdmin to have a Team Dynamix ticket submitted to edit their leave record to reflect work time and credit their sick or vacation leave balance.
  • COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave is available if an employee experiences a reaction to their COVID-19 vaccination that prevents them from returning to work, either on the day of the vaccination or on the following day. To request this leave, complete the attached COVID-19 Administrative Paid Leave request form and return it, along with confirmation of the date the vaccine was received, to adminleaverequests@ecu.edu.
    • Employees must use their own accrued personal leave for continuing reactions experienced beyond the day after vaccination.
    • This leave may be applied retroactively to Jan. 1, 2021 for any employees who have received the COVID-19 vaccine and experienced a reaction. Employees who received their vaccine since Jan. 1, 2021 and used personal leave (sick or vacation) due to a reaction from the vaccine will need to complete the attached Request for COVID-19 Administrative Paid Leave and return it, along with confirmation of the date the vaccine was received, to adminleaverequests@ecu.edu. If the leave is determined to be eligible for COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave, employees’ personal leave will be credited back to their leave balances.
  • COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave continues to be available when an employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation order, has been advised to self-quarantine by a healthcare provider or public health official, or has had exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and is awaiting a diagnosis. Under these conditions, COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave will be allocated as follows:
    • Employees may receive up to 80 hours of COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave for absences prior to using any accrued personal leave.
    • After these 80 hours have been exhausted, the employee must use their accrued personal leave for the absences.
    • Once the employee has exhausted their accrued personal leave, then the employee may receive an additional 80 hours of COVID-19 paid administrative leave for qualifying absences.
    • Please note: Employees who have taken COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave or Emergency Paid Sick leave under the FFCRA since March 2020 will have those hours taken deducted from any remaining paid administrative leave that may be available to them.
  • The interchangeability of accrued vacation and sick leave is extended through June 30, 2021 and continues to be limited to COVID-19 related absences (child/elder care, cannot telework, etc.).
  • UNC System Office continues to encourage the broad use of flexible work arrangements, including telework and alternate work schedules, through June 30, 2021. At ECU, employees who can work remotely should continue to do so to reduce the number of individuals on campus and the potential spread of COVID-19. Please note that, as we progress through the spring semester and into summer, the return of individuals designated as Required On-Site Employees (ROSE) may be adjusted/increased based on legitimate business needs.

If you have questions, please direct them to employeerelations@ecu.edu.

PREVIOUS

Dec. 21, 2020

Campus Community:

The UNC System Office has issued updated COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave Provisions, effective Jan. 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021, or until revised or rescinded. In addition, please note that the leave benefits provided under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) are currently scheduled to end on Dec. 31, 2020.

Please see a summary of the updated provisions below:

  • COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave is available if an employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation order, has been advised to self-quarantine by a healthcare provider or public health official, or has had exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and is awaiting a diagnosis. Under these conditions, COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave will be allocated as follows:
    • Employees may receive up to 80 hours of COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave for absences prior to using any accrued personal leave.
    • After these 80 hours have been exhausted, the employee must use their accrued personal leave for the absences.
    • Once the employee has exhausted their accrued personal leave then the employee may receive an additional 80 hours of COVID-19 paid administrative leave for qualifying absences.
    • Please note: Employees who have taken COVID-19 Paid Administrative leave or Emergency Paid Sick leave under the FFCRA since March 2020, will have those hours taken deducted from any remaining paid administrative leave that may be available to them.
  • The interchangeability of accrued vacation and sick leave continues through March 31, 2021, but is now limited to COVID-19 related absences (child/elder care, cannot telework, etc.).
  • The Literacy, Tutoring, and Mentoring Community Service Leave (CSL) Policy has been continued to support children in a virtual or partially in-person academic setting. Hours used during a work week may vary but cannot exceed the 36 hours allowed under policy. In addition, employees who are not using Literacy, Tutoring, and Mentoring CSL will have their traditional CSL hours reset at 24 hours (prorated by FTE), which can be used through the end of the calendar year. Please note that that the Literacy, Tutoring, and Mentioning CSL policy stipulates that employees must choose between using CSL for that purpose and using CSL traditionally (employees may not use both). CSL leave banks are reset at the beginning of the calendar year. If you have interest in using CSL under this policy, please contact your department.
  • A new allocation of Community Service Leave (80 hours) has been provided for volunteering with not-for-profit organizations on COVID-19 related service projects. Any remainder of the 80 hours of CSL that was provided for this same purpose in August 2020 will be forfeited as of Dec. 31, 2020. As a reminder, CSL usage must be approved by an employee’s supervisor prior to use.

If you have questions, please direct them to employeerelations@ecu.edu.

Oct. 21, 2020

Campus Community,

Since the implementation of the University of North Carolina System’s August 2020 COVID-19 leave guidelines, employees have been eligible to receive up to 160 hours of COVID-19 paid leave (cumulative through Dec. 31, 2020) once an employee has exhausted their 80 hours of FFCRA Emergency Paid Sick Leave and exhausted all personal leave, but still need to be out of work for any of the following reasons:

  1. An employee is subject to a local quarantine or isolation order;
  2. A healthcare provider has recommended an employee to self-quarantine, or;
  3. An employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a diagnosis.

The University of North Carolina System sought and received further flexibility from the State to enhance this provision to allow up to 80 of these 160 hours of COVID-19 paid leave to be used prior to the employee resorting to use of any personal leave. This is designed in the interests of public health and safety to encourage employees to self-report and stay out of the workplace in the event of a suspected COVID-19 exposure, including awaiting the scheduling of a COVID-19 test or pending test results based on the specific advice of a healthcare provider. This would apply even if an employee has no visible symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., asymptomatic).

This additional flexibility will be implemented at ECU effective Nov. 1, 2020. Employees who have exhausted their FFCRA leave entitlement with a qualifying reason for seeking this leave may contact the HR Benefits Office at HR_Benefits@ecu.edu to confirm eligibility. If an employee is deemed eligible for this special leave provision, the HR Benefits Office will grant the Paid Admin Leave-Pandemic Special Leave in Kronos. Managers and/or Super Admins should dispense this leave for the appropriate leave period. If an employee exhausts the initial 80 hours of this leave, and still has accrued leave remaining, the employee must exhaust their personal accrued leave prior to using the remaining Paid Admin Leave-Pandemic Special Leave.

If you have questions, please direct them to HR_Benefits@ecu.edu or contact your HR Benefits Consultant.

Aug. 28, 2020

Campus Community:

The UNC System Office has indicated that the COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave provisions that took effective Aug. 1, 2020 have been extended through Sept. 30, 2020, with one modification:

  • Through Dec. 31, 2020, employees may use Literacy, Tutoring, and Mentoring Community Service Leave (CSL) to support children in a virtual or partially in-person academic setting. Hours used during a work week may vary but cannot exceed the 36 hours allowed under policy. In addition, employees who are not using Literacy, Tutoring, and Mentoring CSL will have their traditional CSL hours reset at 24 hours (prorated by FTE), which can be used through the end of the calendar year.
  • Please note that that the Literacy, Tutoring, and Mentioning CSL policy stipulates that employees must choose between using CSL for that purpose and using CSL traditionally (employees may not use both). If you have interest in using CSL under this policy, please contact your Benefits Counselor for additional information.

As a reminder, CSL usage must be approved by an employee’s supervisor prior to use. The Kronos Team is currently working to have traditional CSL balances reset and departmental SuperAdmins will be notified once that is complete.

In addition to the extension of existing leave provisions through the end of September, please see below for more information and resources pertaining to childcare options.

Childcare Resources

The ever-changing landscape continues to present unique workforce challenges, particularly as it relates to childcare. As a reminder, the University offers a number of different leave benefits and work programs that provide employees, supervisors, and departmental leadership flexibility to help balance business and personal needs. Please find attached an infographic that provides a one-page overview of the many options available for parents with school-aged children. Please note that some of these options, like flexible scheduling, require supervisor approval.

Intermittent Leave Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

In order to further enhance flexibility for parents with school-age children, the University will begin permitting intermittent leave usage under the FFCRA effective Sept. 1. This change will allow employees to further leverage existing FFCRA benefits to balance work and childcare needs.

A handful of reminders about leave under the FFCRA:

  • The law provides, for eligible employees, up to 12 weeks of leave to care for a child whose school of place of care is closed or operating under a modified scheduled due to COVID-19.
  • Leave used under the FFCRA for childcare reasons is compensated at 2/3 of employees’ regular rate of pay, subject to compensation caps as defined in the legislation.
  • University-specific leave types (e.g., vacation, sick, etc.) may be used to supplement leave used under the FFCRA to ensure full pay.

Employees who are interested in using leave under the FFCRA, or who have been approved previously and are interested in using their remaining leave intermittently, should complete the attached FFCRA request form and submit it to ADMINLEAVEREQUESTS@ecu.edu. The form is also available on the HR website. Additional information (including training webinars and job aids) about how to administer FFCRA leave in Kronos is forthcoming to SuperAdmins.

If you have questions:

Aug. 1, 2020

Campus Community:

The UNC System Office has issued updated COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave provisions effective Aug. 1, 2020 until revised or rescinded. The provisions remain largely the same with a few exceptions:

  • Following the guidelines established by OSHR, COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave will no longer be provided for the following reasons:
    • Employees who are not expected to report to the worksite but cannot telework because their position and duties cannot be performed remotely. Effective Aug. 1, 2020, these employees must use their accrued leave or accrued time off for hours not worked.
    • Employees who continue to have an ongoing need to use FFCRA-eligible leave benefits but whose FFCRA leave benefits have been exhausted. Effective Aug. 1, 2020, these employees must use their accrued leave or accrued time off for hours not worked.
      • Once an employee has exhausted all of their FFCRA leave benefits and all of their accrued leave and paid time off (including comp time), absences due to being subject to quarantine/isolation order, advised to self-quarantine, or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and awaiting a diagnosis, will receive COVID-19 paid administrative leave at 100% of the employee’s pay, cumulative up to 160 hours through Dec. 31, 2020. This leave provision is intended to assist an employee in this circumstance with fully completing a mandated or self-imposed quarantine period in the interest of workplace safety.

Please note that employees who have not been directed by their supervisor to work on-site should continue to telework until directed to return to work on-site by their supervisor.

Additional information on how to operationalize these changes in Kronos is forthcoming. If you have questions, please direct them to employeerelations@ecu.edu.

July 1, 2020

Campus Community:

The UNC System Office has issued updated COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave provisions effective July 1, 2020 until revised or rescinded. The provisions remain largely the same with one key exception:

  • Following the guidelines established by OSHR, the amount of COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave employees may use will be reduced to 1/3 (down from 2/3) of an employee’s pay once FFCRA benefits are exhausted. Employees may use any accrued personal leave to make up the difference. This 1/3 pay is provided for absences of employees who cannot telework, for ongoing elder care needs, and due to ongoing child care needs once Expanded Family & Medical Leave is exhausted.

Please note that all employees who have not been directed by their supervisor to work on-site should continue to telework until directed to return to work on-site by their supervisor.

Additional information on how to operationalize these changes in Kronos is forthcoming. If you have questions, please direct them to employeerelations@ecu.edu. We will keep you posted on future developments as soon as it is practicable.

June 1, 2020

Campus Community:

The UNC System Office has issued updated COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave provisions effective June 1, 2020 until revised or rescinded. The provisions remain largely the same with two key exceptions:

  • Following the guidelines established by the Office of State Human Resources (OSHR), the amount of COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave employees may use will be reduced to match that provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). In certain cases, this means employees will receive administrative leave up to 2/3 of their regular pay. Employees may elect to use accrued sick leave, vacation leave, and bonus leave to make up the difference.
  • Through December 31, 2020, employees may use accrued sick leave, vacation leave, and bonus leave interchangeably, regardless of the reason for the employee’s absence. Employees are still expected to adhere to established department and university policies/procedures when requesting and documenting the use of leave time.

Please note that all employees who have not been directed by their supervisor to work on-site should continue to telework until directed to return to work on-site by their supervisor.

Additional information, including FAQs and details on how to operationalize these changes in Kronos, is forthcoming. If you have questions, please direct them to employeerelations@ecu.edu. We expect these guidelines may be revised later in June, and we will keep you posted on those developments.

May 8, 2020

Campus Community:

The UNC System Office has advised that COVID-19 Special Faculty and Staff Work and Leave provisions will continue beyond May 8. We anticipate additional guidance regarding these provisions will be provided later this month and as we move into subsequent phases of the Governor’s reopening plan.

From a practical standpoint, this means that work behaviors and time/leave-keeping practices should continue as they have been since the initial guidance took effect at the start of April.

A handful of reminders:

  • Beginning Monday, May 11, mandatory employees who were previously designated as eligible for 1.5x pandemic premium pay will be paid their normal wage rate for all hours worked. Time should be recorded in Kronos as normal beyond May 10.
  • For those employees using COVID-19 Administrative Leave, the time out on leave and the reason for the leave should be coded in Kronos.
  • The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) went into effect April 1, 2020. Human Resources will be notifying employees if they are exempt from this act due to their status as health care worker or emergency responder.
  • Employees using or looking to use COVID-19 Administrative Leave must now complete the Request for FFCRA Leave form so eligibility for benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) can be evaluated. Completed forms should be sent to ADMINLEAVEREQUESTS@ecu.edu.

If you have questions, please direct them to employeerelations@ecu.edu.

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