COVID-19 Employee Information

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The CDC has published updated guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated Respiratory Virus Guidance in response to the decreasing risk that COVID-19 poses to the population. This updated Guidance includes strategies to protect people at highest risk of getting seriously ill and provides actionable recommendations for people with common viral respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV.

President Biden ended the national emergency on April 10, 2023, and May 11, 2023 marked the official conclusion of the COVID-19 national public health emergency. With these emergencies behind us, several temporary changes that were adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have also ended.

Employees are encouraged to stay up to date on CDC guidance regarding COVID-19. St. John's University has ended contact tracing and tracking of COVID cases in its community. Most tools, such as vaccines, treatments and testing remain available and the Office of Human Resources continues to offer employees assistance, as needed.

What Employees Need to Know

  1. Follow the CDC's updated respiratory virus guidance.  If you are sick and cannot work while isolated, you may be eligible for COVID-19 paid sick leave for up to three occurrences. 

    Staff should designate time in isolation as "COVID-19 sick leave" in the comments section on their time sheet so that the time will not be deducted from their personal sick time accrual. Supervisors must inform Payroll by email and are also expected to maintain detailed records for each employee absence.
     
  2. Contact the Employee Benefits office if:
    • You are out for more than five days;
    • You've already contracted COVID three or more times; or
    • You need Paid Family Leave for Family Care (if you have a minor dependent child who contracts COVID-19, or an eligible family member who needs Family Care, you may qualify).
  3. For related information, see HR policy #1102 and the New York Paid Family Leave COVID-19 FAQs.

You may come to campus, but you must notify your manager and immediately take the precautions recommended by the CDC. Read and follow the updated guidance.

The Employee Benefits Office notified employees of the impacts of the end of the public health emergency and the end of the national emergency on the University plan administration and benefit plan requirements. Read the notice here.

Policy #1102 COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Law

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/faq.html