1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Telework options for Transylvania staff (March 13, 2020)

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The health and safety of the Transylvania University community are our highest priorities. The administration at Transylvania has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation very closely since early February and has issued several updates related to this health situation.

In order to reduce the number of staff members on campus, we are encouraging as many of you as possible to work remotely or on rotational schedules. Employees should work with their cabinet members and supervisors to determine whether they can telework starting Monday, March 16. For positions where remote work is not feasible or available, employees should work with their cabinet members and supervisors to discuss options for flexible work schedules. 

Employees working from home should ensure they have access to all relevant technology needed to perform their duties. Resources for staff on how to access the VPN are available here from IT. In addition, if you do not have a laptop or appropriate resources at home, please contact your cabinet member who will work with IT to provide loaned equipment as available. Some departments will be working rotational schedules on campus as needed. Your cabinet member or supervisor will discuss this need with you directly.

It is our intent to make sure that all staff are paid their regular pay during the period of the extended spring break as well as while courses are being delivered remotely.

All staff should abide by the following guidelines:

  1. Meetings should be conducted virtually (phone, Google Meet, etc.) as much as possible. Please refer to the IT resources for help.
  2. For employees who are working in person, rotational schedules in your department, please be mindful of your social distance (6 feet if possible) from other employees and clean your work spaces with disinfecting wipes before and as you’re concluding your shifts. 
  3. Any employee who has been or may be exposed to someone diagnosed with coronavirus may not return to campus for a minimum of 14 days.  You may submit an application to the sick leave bank for this time period if you are unable to work remotely.  
  4. All employees with any other illnesses or symptoms should also stay home for the duration of the illness. You may submit an application to the sick leave bank as needed for these illnesses if you do not have leave to cover your illness.
  5. Please contact your supervisor and cabinet member if you are ill or have been exposed.
  6. Please refer to these guidelines from the Lexington Fayette County Health Department to help keep yourself healthy as well as to find out what to do if you feel ill. 

If you have additional questions not answered above, please contact your supervisor, cabinet member or Human Resources. We appreciate your patience as these processes are developed over the next few days and weeks. 

Public updates on Transylvania’s response are posted at www.transy.edu/health-alert. For more information on the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control website. Information is also available from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.