Updated March 14: Under the guidance of health officials, Ohio University has made the decision to immediately begin to reduce the density of personnel on all of our campuses. Employees should be contacted by their academic or administrative supervisors no later than noon on Monday, March 16 to discuss options for remote work. All employees who can complete all or a portion of their work remotely should transition to a remote work environment beginning Monday, March 16.

IMPORTANT UPDATED TRAVEL GUIDANCE: As communicated earlier this week, we are asking any employee who has recently traveled to country that has a CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice or who believes they may have been exposed to COVID-19 not to return to work for at least 14 days and to contact their local health department immediately for further information. In addition, any employee who has recently traveled outside their campus community to an area with confirmed COVID-19 cases may not return to in-person work on campus for 14 days. Academic and Administrative supervisors should provide remote work if at all possible.

Updated March 14: All  academic and administrative units will create remote work plans that identify any and all employees (faculty, administrative staff, Classified, or bargaining unit) who can do all or a portion of their work remotely and ask them to transition to a remote work environment beginning Monday, March 16, and until further notice. This directive applies to all campuses and locations. 

Employees who must remain on campus to complete critical functions should be instructed by their supervisors to avoid close contact. This includes eliminating or dramatically reducing face-to-face meetings by employing technology resources including Microsoft Teams or other online collaboration tools. 

For flex-place request: it may not be feasible or secure for some work to be done remotely. HR can provide further guidance regarding such leaves and benefits and help ensure such requests are documented appropriately.

Flextime and Flexplace Scheduling for Classified Staff
Flextime Work Schedule, Flexible Hours and Flexplace for and Flexplace for Administrators

Managers and employees can find guidelines and policies for flex work arrangements in the Hire and Manage section of the HR website.

Current payroll processing periods and benefit coverages will remain in place.
Hourly employees working from home who adhere to the guidelines will be allowed to report hours on a weekly basis to their supervisors, who will confirm such hours for pay purposes.

Employees exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or flu like symptoms should be directed to leave the workplace and contact their local health department for next health care steps.

Symptoms, which generally appear two to 14 days after exposure, include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Most people who become sick do not require hospitalization, but older adults, people with chronic health conditions, and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to require more advanced care.

Supervisors should follow normal departmental protocol and applicable university policies for managing time off requests.

Sick and Bereavement Leave for Classified Employees
Sick and Bereavement Leave for Faculty and Administrative Appointees

Employees who are experiencing respiratory symptoms should not come to work, regardless of whether or not they believe they have been exposed to COVID-19. Managers should encourage employees to stay home if they are sick, regardless of potential exposure. If you develop a fever, you should contact your local health department for further direction.

Any employee who has recently traveled outside their campus community to an area with confirmed COVID-19 cases may not return to in-person work on campus for 14 days. Employees with potential symptoms or possible exposure should contact their local health department for further direction. Academic and Administrative supervisors should provide remote work if at all possible.

Any employee who has recently traveled to country that has a CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice or who believes they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should not to return to work for at least 14 days and should contact their local health department immediately for further information.

Call a health care professional if you develop a fever or symptoms of respiratory illness -- such as cough or shortness of breath.

Yes, the faculty and staff Anthem PPO plan will cover the COVID-19 test provided at an approved location in accordance with CDC guidelines at no cost the patient.

The CDC is currently recommending quarantine – meaning isolation in a location to be determined by public health authorities – only for high risk individuals, defined as those who have been who have been in close contact with someone with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Anyone in this category should contact their local health department immediately.

The CDC is also recommending self-isolation for anyone returning home from a country with widespread community transmission, meaning they should remain at home or in a comparable setting for 14 days and practice social distancing and self-monitoring for potential symptoms. Anyone in this category should contact their local health provider for specific guidance.

For travel related information and FAQs, please refer to the OHIO Travel website located at https://www.ohio.edu/finance/travel.