Information and university updates about COVID-19 and CARES Act Funds.
Beginning, May 3, 2021, USF will not require individuals inside university facilities to wear face coverings. Face coverings may still be worn, and individuals should respect the wishes of those who prefer continued use of face coverings.
If the behavior is personally affecting your safety, politely address the situation with the individual. If you see others not adhering to the USF safety guidelines and it is not personally affecting your safety, please respect the unique dignity of each individual and their personal choices.
Understandably, employees may have concerns of being exposed to COVID-19. We are all responsible for using best practices now and in the future to avoid exposure of any type of virus. Work with your supervisor to alleviate your fears. Share ideas you may have to reduce exposure. The university’s Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) is available to you for counseling on fears related to COVID-19 or other concerns. PTO is available if scheduled and approved by your supervisor. If PTO is not available nor possible because of office responsibilities, you are expected to be on campus and fulfill your duties.
Share your concerns with your immediate supervisor. Some flexibility may be possible in certain circumstances.
Also note: Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) is available for use; please refer to the PTO Policy located in the USF Employee Handbook.
An employee may be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in certain circumstances. Some instances of COVID-19 may qualify as a “serious health condition.” Please see information below and in the USF Employee Handbook about FMLA and other Leave of Absences and consult with Human Resources.
Leaves of Absences and/or FMLA entitles employees to job-protected leave when they have a serious health condition or when they need leave to care for covered family members who have a serious health condition. Leave for the purpose of avoiding exposure to the COVID-19 is not protected under the FMLA.
Share your concerns with your immediate supervisor. Some flexibility may be possible in certain circumstances.
Also note: Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) is available for use; please refer to the PTO Policy located in the USF Employee Handbook.
An employee may be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in certain circumstances. Some instances of COVID-19 may qualify as a “serious health condition.” Please see information below and in the USF Employee Handbook about FMLA and other Leave of Absences and consult with Human Resources.
Leaves of Absences and/or FMLA entitles employees to job-protected leave when they have a serious health condition or when they need leave to care for covered family members who have a serious health condition. Leave for the purpose of avoiding exposure to the COVID-19 is not protected under the FMLA.
Share your concerns with your immediate supervisor. Some flexibility may be possible in certain circumstances.
Also note: Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) is available for use; please refer to the PTO Policy located in the USF Employee Handbook.
Employees who are ill are encouraged to stay home. Employees should notify their immediate supervisor and stay home if they are sick. Employees should refer to the Exposure/Quarantine Scenarios and the Employee Return to Work Flowchart for further guidance.
Employees are advised to contact a medical professional. If you need to see a physician and your primary care physician is not available, convenient and cost-effective care options such as Call a Doc, www.247calladoc.com or (844) DOC-24HR are available for those covered by the USF health plan.
Supervisors should recommend that employees who are sick remain off duty until symptoms resolve, and that they seek medical assistance, as appropriate. If an employee declines to take leave, supervisors should consult with Human Resources. Employees and supervisors should refer to the Exposure/Quarantine Scenarios and the Employee Return to Work Flowchart for further guidance. A COVID-19 Exposure Notification form must be completed by the employee or supervisor if an illness, exposure, or possible exposure has occurred.
Yes. USF is obligated to provide a safe workplace and may take necessary and reasonable steps to minimize health risks for its employees. Employees should stay home if sick and should go home immediately if they become sick while at work. A COVID-19 Exposure Notification form must be completed by the employee or supervisor if an illness, exposure, or possible exposure has occurred. Before returning to work, employees must complete an Employee Illness Self-Certification to Return to Work form.
Yes, employees and supervisors should refer to the Exposure/Quarantine Scenarios and the Employee Return to Work Flowchart for further guidance. A COVID-19 Exposure Notification form must be completed by the employee or supervisor if an illness, exposure, or possible exposure has occurred. An Employee Self-Certification to Return to Work form must be completed by the employee before return to work is permitted. For further questions or to provide additional information, please email the HR Team at hr@sf.edu. For tracking purposes and quicker response, do not email a member of the HR Team directly. This is to monitor cases at the university level, support departments with ongoing staffing needs and support employees who are absent with benefits.
Employees and supervisors should refer to the Exposure/Quarantine Scenarios and the Employee Return to Work Flowchart for guidance. Always follow the instruction of a medical professional. A COVID-19 Exposure Notification form must be completed by the employee or supervisor if an illness, exposure, or possible exposure has occurred. Before returning to work, employees must complete an Employee Illness Self-Certification to Return to Work Form.
Any employee with a COVID-19 positive test result, should attach a copy of their test results to their COVID-19 Exposure Notification form. This is required by the Allen County Health Department for contact tracing purposes. Employees are required to complete the Employee Illness Self-Certification to Return to Work Form and submit to Human Resources prior to returning to work. To be covered under any eligible leaves, and to use the Sick Leave Reserve (SLR) benefit, employees must provide HR documentation from a healthcare provider. If no note is provided, employee will be required to use accrued PTO. If no accrued PTO is available, time off work will be unpaid.
Share your concerns with your immediate supervisor. Some flexibility in work hours or location may be possible in certain circumstances.
Also note: Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) is available for use; please refer to the PTO Policy located in the USF Employee Handbook.
Please contact Human Resources at hr@sf.edu with questions or for further assistance.
Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) is available for use; please refer to the PTO Policy located in the USF Employee Handbook.
An employee who is sick may be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in certain circumstances. Some instances of COVID-19 may qualify as a “serious health condition.” Please see information below and in the USF Employee Handbook about FMLA and other Leave of Absences and consult with Human Resources.
Leaves of Absences and/or FMLA entitles employees to job-protected leave when they have a serious health condition or when they need leave to care for covered family members who have a serious health condition. Leave for the purpose of avoiding exposure to the COVID-19 is not protected under the FMLA.
Updated information will be available via the University News Page and on MCC.
Students, faculty, and staff should check these sites regularly in the coming days for updates and additional guidance. Email and MCC announcements will also be utilized as needed to get information out in a timely manner.
If you have been fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine(s) you are not required to quarantine when exposed to someone testing positive for COVID unless you experience symptoms of COVID-19. It is recommended that the employee wear a mask in public indoor settings for fourteen (14) days after the exposure.
Persons exhibiting symptoms are required to quarantine for at least 10 days. A negative COVID test does not shorten the quarantine time.
Persons are required to quarantine when they have been in close contact or direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Close contact or direct contact is defined as being within 6-feet of an infectious person for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period, whether or not masks were worn.*
The university currently requires a 10-day quarantine period for exposure to COVID-19 or if a person has COVID-19 symptoms apart from an alternate diagnosis by a medical professional.
*Persons fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are not required to quarantine for exposure.
This information is directly from the Allen County Department of Health website:
What if a person reports a positive test conducted in the home? There are several home rapid test kits that can be purchased over the counter. These home tests are not reported to the health department like laboratory tests, and cannot be verified as far as technique nor how they were administered like in a testing facility, and are therefore not included in the daily or overall case numbers in the state of Indiana. Since there is no way to verify the validity of the test, our recommendation is not to accept these as confirmed cases in the school or work environment at this time. If someone does utilize a home test kits and tests positive, our recommendation is to keep the person home and encourage testing at an official testing facility for confirmation. Once the official report of a positive test is available, then all appropriate contact tracing will be done at that time. Negative results from home test kits also should not be used to allow someone to return from quarantine early.”
Please consider getting a PCR test for accuracy.