Employee Information

Staff should be functioning at full capacity; however, shared office time should be minimized. In those workspaces that limit the ability to adhere social distancing guidelines, staff should rotate between teleworking and on-campus work. Those in vulnerable populations will be accommodated to the extent Human Resources policy allows and in conjunction with the supervisor.

Employees who have tested positive or who have symptoms of COVID-19 should seek medical care, notify their supervisor and stay at home. These employees are eligible to use up to two weeks paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and can use any other available leave.

Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and may stay home and telework when possible. The employee should follow GDPH recommendations in caring for their family member. These employees are eligible for up to two weeks paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and can use any other available leave.

High-Risk Populations

Upon request, individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness with COVID-19 will be given an opportunity to continue to work remotely. The GDPH and CDC have stated that people of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19:

• Older ages: The CDC no longer gives a minimum age for those at risk. The USG will continue to use 65 as its measure for evaluating requests for alternate work arrangements. Individuals who are younger than 65 can provide documentation from a healthcare provider that their age is a determining factor for risk that should prevent them from working on campus as scheduled
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
• Obesity (body mass index of 30 or higher)
• Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Sickle cell disease
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Hypertension or high blood pressure
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
• Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
• Liver disease
• Pregnancy
• Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
• Smoking
• Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus

The UNG Office of Human Resources has an Accommodation Request Form for employees to use in making such a request. Documentation for underlying medical conditions will be required as a part of the request. All requests should be submitted to the UNG Office of Human Resources, who will review the request and, upon approval, work with the employee and immediate supervisor to document and provide for the alternate work arrangement.

Employees who live with or care for an individual who is considered higher risk may work remotely, if possible, or exercise appropriate leave provisions.

All non-essential travel by USG employees is prohibited until further notice. The USG will provide updated information as the situation changes.

Intercampus travel should be restricted to essential UNG business only.

Travel for faculty and staff in the USG will continue to be informed by the most current guidance for state agencies and travel guidance from the CDC.

It is recommended that future guidelines for in-state and out-of-state travel include a list of approved areas/states dependent upon COVID-19 transmission. 

Faculty and staff who are traveling back to their campus from a region that is in the midst of a COVID-19 increase should follow the appropriate CDC guidelines related to self-quarantine.

If an employee is caring for a dependent whose school or place of care is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19, the FFCRA entitles the employee to emergency paid sick leave.

Full-time employees may take up to 80 hours of paid leave. Affected part-time employees may take pro-rated paid leave, up to their regularly scheduled hours or full-time equivalent.

Covered employees are entitled to use this emergency paid sick leave before using any other accrued leave. Compensation for those who are caring for someone else will be at least 2/3 of their regular pay rate, but it will be capped at $200 per day and an aggregate total of $2,000.

Please contact the HR Benefits Representatives at benefits@ung.edu if you have any questions.

The Extended FMLA has provisions that provide covered leave to employees who are caring for a dependent under the age of 18, whose school or place of care is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19.

Affected employees are entitled to take this leave as part of their standard 12-week FMLA allotment. It does not add an additional 12 weeks onto the already existing 12 weeks of FMLA. The first two weeks of leave under this provision are unpaid, as is customary under the FMLA.

The employee may take these two weeks of unpaid leave at the same time as the two weeks of emergency paid sick leave. The remaining 10 weeks must be paid, unlike other FMLA leave. That pay rate is at least 2/3 of their regular pay rate, but it is capped at $200 per day and an aggregate total of $10,000.
 
Please note that employees can still use any other paid leave that they have accrued following the exhaustion of their 12 weeks of FMLA.

Please contact the HR Benefits Representatives at benefits@ung.edu if you have any questions.