March 13 HR Guidance
Friday March 13, 2020 1:05 p.m.
To All Campus Staff and Supervisors:
The State of Maryland is currently under a Pandemic Emergency Plan, which mandates that all State and USM agencies modify their working conditions to promote the health and safety of their employees and all Maryland citizens. Salisbury University has therefore begun implementing plans to modify operations in order to minimize face-to-face interactions and encourage the practice of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is important to note that the SU campus is not closed. While State buildings are closed to the outside public at this time, SU will remain open to continue to deliver instruction to our students.
To achieve the health and safety goals of social distancing and minimize the potential spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), SU is preparing to move as many employees as possible to teleworking status beginning Monday, March 16th. ALL supervisors are therefore asked to meet with their direct reports as soon as possible to discuss the status of each employee’s position and the potential for a teleworking schedule.
*PLEASE NOTE: The designation of “critical or sustainable employee” under a Pandemic Emergency Plan is NOT the same as essential/non-essential under a weather-related school closing (i.e. snow, hurricane, etc.). Some employees may not easily fit into a category as neatly as others and will need to work with their supervisors on a case-by-case basis to determine their status.
Critical Staff employees are those employees who are specifically designated as critical to the continuing operations of the university, as determined by the supervisor. Critical employees are expected to report to their regular work location. Critical employees may be asked to work a modified work schedule and/or perform other duties as assigned during the Pandemic Emergency period.
Sustainable Staff employees. Most staff employees should fall into this category. Sustainable employees are those whose job duties may be performed, either wholly or partially through a telework plan for the duration of the Pandemic Emergency. Such employees must work with their supervisor to identify the parameters of a potential teleworking plan that will allow employees to perform all or most of their duties at an alternative work location (home or other). Teleworking and other alternative work schedule changes must be pre-approved by the supervisor. Supervisors must have a written teleworking plan for each sustainable employee. The teleworking plan should include the assignments that will be completed at a remote telework location, the amount of time the employee is expected to telework (hours/days/times) to complete those duties, and other expectations of the arrangement. During the Pandemic Emergency period, sustainable employees may be assigned to other duties to meet compelling university needs
Telework templates and agreements to be completed for all telework plans are located on this site. Copies of the telework plan (hard-copies or electronically to: humanresources@salisbury.edu) should be sent to the Office of Human Resources within one business day of the commencement of the plan.
Faculty are considered sustainable employees and may work at the location most appropriate for them to deliver instruction to students. At this time, this includes work from offices, studios, labs, and other spaces on campus if practicing social distancing. Faculty do not need to complete a telework plan.
Graduate assistants will continue to receive communication from Graduate Studies & Research and their supervisors.
Guidance for Contingent I employees (including student workers) is forthcoming.
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CRITICAL NON-EXEMPT Personnel (Regular/PIN and Contingent II), as defined during a Pandemic Emergency plan, must report to campus as needed for full or partial work assignments on campus.
Critical employees who are REQUIRED to work on campus may have a modified schedule, as directed by the supervisor. Any assigned hours that total less than a regular work day (8 or 10 hours) or work week (40 hours) may be supplemented with administrative leave to ensure the employee remains in a regularly scheduled paid status. For critical employees who are assigned teleworking duties, the supervisor and employee must complete the teleworking work plan and forward a copy of the plan to the Office of Human Resources within one business day of the commencement of the plan. Please see FORMS FOR EMPLOYEES at the bottom of this message for additional forms and information required for teleworking employees, including the SU Telework Agreement, which must be signed by the employee and returned to HR.
Additional information for CRITICAL employees who may receive administrative leave:
- Employees who utilize the ADI 'swiper’ system for time reporting, when administrative leave is assigned, the hours used must be written on the (paper) timesheet and reported at the department level.
- Employees who utilize a web timesheet for time reporting, when administrative leave is assigned, the leave hours must be recorded as ADMIN with the appropriate number of hours to supplement the hours worked.
- Critical employees who fail to report to work as assigned may be subject to disciplinary action.
- Individuals who are unsure of their position status as an critical employee should check with their supervisors.
SUSTAINABLE NON-EXEMPT Employees (Regular/PIN and Contingent II), as defined during a Pandemic Emergency Plan, may be permitted to perform duties via telework at remote locations away from the traditional workplace.
The supervisor of a sustainable employee who is teleworking (full-time or part-time), must document the primary duties to be performed via telework and the hours per day/week required to perform these duties. The supervisor and employee must complete the teleworking work plan and forward a copy of the plan to the Office of Human Resources within one business day of the commencement of the plan. Please see FORMS FOR EMPLOYEES at the bottom of this message for additional forms and information required for teleworking employees, including the SU Telework Agreement, which must be signed by the employee and returned to HR.
Under this Pandemic Emergency Plan, any assigned telework hours that total less than a regular work day (8 or 10 hours) or work week (40 hours) may be supplemented with administrative leave to ensure the employee remains in a regularly scheduled paid status.
EXEMPT Employees (Regular/PIN and Contingent II)
Exempt employees have a “Duty Day” designation, which means a combination of various hours worked and completed assignments are done to complete the job on a daily basis.
Some exempt employees, by the nature of their job and assigned duties, may be required to report to the campus work location as Critical Employees. These critical exempt employees may have a modified schedule, allowing for a hybrid combination of work done on campus and/or at remote locations as part of a teleworking arrangement. Any combination of those assignments would fall under the “Duty Day” designation.
With approval of the supervisor, exempt employees may develop a full-time teleworking plan for the duration of the pandemic emergency plan.
All exempt employees and their supervisors must develop a teleworking work plan and forward a copy of the plan to the Office of Human Resources within one business day of the commencement of the plan. Please see FORMS FOR EMPLOYEES at the bottom of this message for additional forms and information required for teleworking employees, including the SU Telework Agreement, which must be signed by the employee and returned to HR.
Exempt employees who fail to report to work or observe the telework plan may be subject to disciplinary action.
ALL EMPLOYEES (PIN and Contingent II)
- Any employee who is or has already been pre-approved for leave for a full or partial day during the period of the Pandemic Emergency Plan must use the paid leave (i.e., annual, holiday, and/or personal leave) as approved.
- Any employee who exhibits viral symptoms or signs of illness (fever, coughing, stuffy nose, difficulty breathing) will be asked to remove themselves from the workplace and self-isolate. These employees may use sick leave or a full-time telework arrangement for the duration of the illness plus 24 hours beyond any symptoms.
- During Spring Break, employees who travel further than 75 miles from Salisbury, or to a location outside the area which is known to have high-risk exposure, are asked to self-identify to their supervisor the details of their travel. These employees may use sick leave or a full-time telework arrangement for the duration of the Pandemic Emergency Plan, to ensure a 14-day self-isolation period.
- Please observe the practice of social distancing by avoiding non-essential in-person meetings. If the meeting is essential, please maintain a six-foot social distance and, as much as possible, respectfully ensure no one in the room has symptoms of a fever or upper respiratory infection, and has had no exposure to a high-risk COVID-19 situation.
- Where possible for large gatherings, take advantage of online environments or postpone or cancel the event.
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As SU continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation, we will continue to provide updated information and guidance to ensure the health and safety of the Salisbury University community.
Thank you