May 5, 2020, 7:32 PM
(From CUPA-HR) When planning to re-open campus, it's essential that institutions develop guiding principles that fit the school's values and follow good guidance on the phases of re-entry, according to Jay Stephens, vice president for human capital services at Kansas State University. His advice is to lead with those principles front and center when making decisions to develop a framework for decision-making that will let different campus units make localized decisions using consistent criteria. The University of Utah, for instance, has developed a working document based on guidance from state and local officials and made specific to the institution, which features color-coded guidelines for various areas of campus operations.
(From American School & University) The American Federation of Teachers has released what it calls a science-based plan to reopen the nation's schools safely and responsibly. The plan features five core pillars required for schools to gradually reopen:
From American School & University
(From Inside Higher Ed) Should institutions reopen their campuses this fall, what may happen to faculty members concerned about their health and safety? One prospect is to give faculty the choice of whether to continue teaching online or not, according to Christopher J. Lee, a professor at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. The right not to work under certain conditions draws upon existing Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines that require reasonable workplace accommodation for reasons of disability or genetic information, Lee says. Until a vaccine is developed, faculty members would generally fall within this latter category, even without preexisting conditions. Lee also suggests shifting larger teaching loads to spring or later semesters, or having classes meet once a week for longer periods, or a combination of these approaches.
(From SHRM) The Department of Labor announced it will end the temporary period of non-enforcement of paid leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This non-enforcement period allowed employers to time to comply with coronavirus-related paid-sick-leave and paid-family-leave mandates. To resolve confusion that has arisen with providing FFCRA-required leave, the DOL released several resources including a fact sheet for employees and a fact sheet for employers, as well as model workplace posters for nonfederal employers and federal employers that are covered by the mandate.
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