University of Utah - Human Resources

COVID-19 Special Protocol

Webpage last updated: 3/26/2020

Important Contacts

The U’s COVID-19 Hotline: 801/213-2874
RedMed: 801/213-3303
Work Wellness Center: 801/581-2227
HR Benefits Team: 801/581-7447

Important Links

Exposure Guidance

If you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you are required to be assessed before returning to work.

Main Campus employees must contact RedMed at 801/213-3303 for assessment before reporting to work. University of Utah Health Academics and Hospitals and Clinics must contact the Work Wellness Center at 801/581-2227 for assessment before reporting to work. If RedMed or the Work Wellness Center is closed and you are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, call your primary care physician or the emergency department (emergency room).

As we monitor the spread of COVID-19 through campus we are asking members of the U community to fill out this form (UNID login required) if they have tested positive for the virus, or are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.

COVID-19 Reporting Form

This information will help us to reduce the spread of the disease by making sure appropriate areas of campus are cleaned and disinfected.

Download the official University Guidance document for COVID-19 protocol for suspected or confirmed cases in University buildings.

The recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires that all health plans cover FDA-approved diagnostic tests to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 at no cost to the patient. The fully covered testing includes related services furnished during the urgent care, emergency room, in-person or telehealth provider visits that result in an order for or administration of a covered diagnostic test.

COVID-19 Telecommuting Protocol and Guidance

Beginning immediately, we are asking departmental leaders to begin working with their teams to identify employees and positions (as well as functions) who must report in-person to work and those whose work can be completed remotely.

Guidance for Designating Employee Positions with Respect to University Required Telecommuting

Category I: Mandatory Required on Campus or at Health Care Facilities (can be an employee or multiple employees in a function)

Main Campus Staff: Employees and/or functions designated as mandatory, requiring employees to be physically located on campus in order to maintain campus systems and operations
U of U Health Academics Faculty and Staff: All employees necessary for the direct on-site support of clinical operations, patient care, and essential research activities if they are healthy and without symptoms (see flowchart)
Hospitals and Clinics Staff: All employees necessary for the direct on-site support of clinical operations and patient care, if they are healthy and without symptoms

Category II: Not Required on Campus (will fall into one of the two sub-groups based upon circumstances)

A. Those able to telework: Employees and/or functions where employees are able to work remotely in order to maintain campus systems, campus operations, clinical operations, and patient care
B. Those unable to telework: Employees and/or functions where employees are unable to telework and for whom there are no alternate work assignments or work available. Examples may include: select part-time positions, select student workers, and ushers

Please use the Campus and U of U Health Academics COVID-19 Telecommuting Form below for instances where an employee is asked to telecommute as a result of COVID-19. All forms should be sent to askhr@utah.edu.

All employees who telecommute are required to follow the University’s Telecommuting Policy for Staff Employees (Policy 5-140) and Telecommuting Guides (Guideline 5-140).

Direct Deposit Information & Special Payroll Procedures

As the national and local COVID-19 situation evolves, we are working to ensure continuity of operations at every level. Should the virus severely impact HR, paper paychecks will not be available and direct deposit will be the only method of payment. We are urging all employees to sign up now for direct deposit if they have not already done so.

At this time, direct deposit is not mandatory but will be made mandatory if operational procedures are affected due to COVID-19.

Instructions for how to set up direct deposit can be found here.

Click here to setup Direct Deposit.

Protocol for Payroll Special Checks

Going forward, Payroll will only be creating special checks once per week. Special checks are only to be used for urgent payments, and the employee being paid must be enrolled in direct deposit. Otherwise, payments should coincide with regular pay periods. Special checks will be created by payroll on the following schedule:

Week of:

3/15 – 3/21 – Checks will be created 3/19
3/22 – 3/28 – Checks will be created 3/27
3/29 – 4/04 – Checks will be created 3/31 (Payroll processing week)
4/05 – 4/11 – Checks will be created 4/6 and also 4/10
4/12 – 4/18 – Checks will be created 4/15

All information for the missed hours along with the journal entry, will need to be received by your designated payroll specialist by noon, on or before the check creation date.

HR Guidance for Child Care

In response to Governor Herbert’s announcement regarding the soft closing of K-12 schools, we are offering the following guidance. All of these recommendations are subject to manager approval with the intent that managers do the best they can to adjust the workforce and accommodate requests:

Telecommuting: expanding the use of telecommuting for childcare purposes. Employees should work with their supervisor to determine feasibility (https://www.hr.utah.edu/forms/lib/University_of_Utah_Telecommuting_Form.pdf)
Flexible scheduling: employees should work with their supervisors to determine whether flex schedules are possible
Leave accruals: all accrued leave types (vacation, personal preference, sick leave) will be available to use for childcare purposes. If there are extenuating circumstances please talk to your HR Associate Director.

Faculty and Hospitals and Clinics Staff with patient care responsibilities, or who work in units with patient care and units that support patient care, should report for work as scheduled, or if unable, contact their supervisor as soon as possible to ensure coverage. Hospitals and Clinics employees should refer to https://pulse.utah.edu/site/hhr/covid-19-uuhc-employee-info for more information.

COVID-19 Travel and Leave Usage Guidance

Employee Assistance Program

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) will be temporarily available to all University employees, including those not enrolled in the University’s healthcare plan and those not eligible to enroll in the University’s healthcare plan.

To maintain a safe environment for employees, the University’s partners at Blomquist Hale are transitioning EAP appointments to take place via phone and video sessions (via smart phone, tablet or computer, etc.).

Please see our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) webpage for additional resources available related to COVID-19.

Retirement Information During Uncertain Times

We recognize that during these times of uncertainty employees are concerned about their current finances as well as their retirement savings. Please visit our COVID-19 retirement webpage for more information and resources.

University Travel Guidance

Effective immediately, the University of Utah is restricting all university-related business travel for faculty, staff, and students through April 30, 2020 (i.e., the end of the spring semester). If you are traveling for university-related business, whether in the United States or internationally, between now and April 30, you should cancel the trip. Any request for an exception to this restriction – for business-critical travel – must be reviewed and approved at all three relevant levels: (a) the department chair or manager, (b) the dean or vice president, and (c) the designee (see below) of the relevant Senior Vice President or Chief Human Resources Officer (Michael Good, Daniel Reed, or Jeff Herring, respectively).

Following department and dean/VP sign off, final travel exception approval will be granted by:

Main Campus Academic Affairs Travel: Sarah Projansky, AVP for Faculty, sarah.projansky@utah.edu
U of U Health Academic Travel: Ed Clark, AVP for clinical affairs, ed.clark@hsc.utah.edu
U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics Staff Travel: Sarah Sherer, Senior Human Resources Director, Sarah.Sherer@hsc.utah.edu
Main Campus Staff Travel: Chris Bone, Senior Human Resources Director, chris.bone@utah.edu

We also encourage you to avoid personal travel outside the State of Utah. If you do travel, you may be restricted from returning to work, depending on your health and the risk of COVID-19 in the area you visited. We recognize this will cause inconvenience for some, but this decision has been taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our university community. Most airlines are now waiving rebooking fees, and previously booked airline tickets can be reused for future travel.

If you have travelled domestically or internationally to countries with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) level three travel health notice in the last two weeks, we ask that you report (login required) the trip to your unit leader or dean.

University Related International Travel

Regardless of the nature and location of your university-related international travel, by university policy you must register it with the university. Specifically, University Rule R3-030D requires all international travel participants to:

Register their university-related travel at least three weeks prior to departure date
Enroll in university-affiliated international and emergency evacuation insurance
Abide by all active travel warnings and restrictions

Standard Leave Guidance

All forms of leave under current University policy may be considered for employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 or require isolation at home due to concern of exposure. These include:

Sick leave
Vacation leave
Personal Preference Leave

Detailed information regarding leaves may be found at www.hr.utah.edu under Policies and Procedures. More information on available leave may be found here:

Please contact Human Resources for information on the following types of leave:

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) - The leave may be protected under FMLA if the employee is eligible, and their own serious health condition or that of a family member qualifies for FMLA protection.
Donated vacation leave
Extended Sick Leave (up to 30 days)

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations

If an employee’s doctor recommends that the employee not report to work due to fear of exposure to COVID-19, the employee may request an accommodation due to a disability, including modification or adjustment to job duties, schedule, work environment, or other reasonable accommodations that would enable the employee to perform their essential job functions. To request an accommodation, compete the disability accommodation form found here.

Worker’s Compensation

Worker’s Compensation is available to employees who have contracted COVID-19 while working, both in the United States and abroad.

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