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Coronavirus Updates for FAS Employees

Effective immediately until further notice

FAS HR Support Services (HRSS) is fully operational, providing all services remotely and are available to assist with all of your payroll/timekeeping/remote work questions. While we are unable to assist in-person at this time, employees and department leadership can schedule video and phone consultations by contacting

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) recently defined the Phase 1B population for the next round of vaccine distribution. To ensure the University requests enough vaccines from the state to quickly and efficiently give it to those eligible and interested individuals, they need to collect certain information now.

To find out more information about Phase 1B and how to request a vaccine, visit https://protect.utexas.edu/vaccine/distribution

Self-Quarantine Guidelines

Employees (faculty and staff) who have been identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person, but do not develop symptoms, should self-quarantine and may not return to campus for:

  • Full 10 days after exposure; or
  • Full 7 days after exposure with a negative COVID-19 test performed on either day 6 or day 7, not earlier

Employees (faculty and staff) who have traveled internationally, should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) testing and international travel guidelines.

All updates are reflected in the COVID-19 Guide for FAS Staff available in English and Spanish at financials.utexas.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-guide-fas-staff.

Timekeeping and Employee Leave

The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) federal paid leave options that included Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Expanded Family and Medical Leave (EFML) expired on Dec. 31, 2020.

If you become ill/unwell with COVID-19, you will need to use your existing sick leave hours. If sick leave is exhausted, you will then need to use other available paid leave such as vacation hours.  Depending on your situation, if all leave options are exhausted, Sick Leave Pool (SLP) or Sick Leave Donation (SLD) may be additional avenues for paid leave. In March 2020, the university added the diagnosis of COVID as a SLP-eligible condition.

If you are well, but are required to self-quarantine due to a COVID positive exposure, you will need to use your existing sick leave hours first. Once sick leave hours are exhausted,

  1. If it’s a work COVID exposure (as determined through OHP contact tracing), HR will add Emergency Leave hours until the period of quarantine ends.
  2. If it’s a non-work COVID exposure, you will need to use other available paid leave such as vacation hours until the period of quarantine ends.

In both cases, if you call 1-833-UT-CARES and schedule a free on-campus COVID test and receive negative results, the quarantine period will be shortened to 7 days after exposure, if you have no symptoms and with a negative test result occurring on day 6 or later.  If you do not have available time, discuss your options with your supervisor.  You can also contact the FAS HR Support Services (HRSS) Team at 512-471-5466 or hrss@austin.utexas.edu.

Worker Resources

Payroll Updates

Important Payroll information and updates including Paper Paycheck Delivery can be found here: https://payroll.utexas.edu/coronavirus

COVID-19 Updates and FAQs

 

Contact Us: hrss@austin.utexas.edu

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