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If I’m not feeling well, how do I know whether to stay home?  What if a family member is ill?

If you are not feeling well, please stay home. Full-time employees have paid sick time for use during these circumstances and part-time employees have PTO. Sick time can also be used if you need to stay home to care for a family member who is not feeling well. Please notify your direct supervisor as soon as possible and make sure that the time away is accounted for/recorded on your timesheets or leave reports. Please contact Human Resources to address specific situations or for additional questions. The University’s sick leave policy can be found via this link: http://webmedia.jcu.edu/hr/files/2017/06/I-4.1-Sick_Leave_6_9_2017.pdf

Can extended absences be covered by Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

If you or a qualified family member have a serious health condition, including COVID-19, an extended absence from work may qualify under FMLA.  Applicable leave eligibility requirements would apply.  Ryan Armsworthy, Director of Total Rewards, administers leaves of absences for staff and is the contact for questions or requests about extended absences due to medical reasons.

What if my child’s school or care provider is closed due to health concerns - can I use sick time? Can I use vacation?

It is recommended that you have a plan for back-up dependent care, especially for those who are in roles necessary for campus operations.  If you do need to miss work due to a lack of child/dependent care, you may not use sick time. Our sick leave is designed to provide income protection when an employee is absent due to their own illness or injury, or to care for an immediate family member who is injured or sick.

On the other hand, full-time employees do have personal and vacation leave available to cover time needed to provide care for dependents. Part-time employees can use available PTO. Inform your supervisor that you need to use vacation or personal time and account for the time on the timesheets or leave reports.   The University’s staff vacation leave policy can be found via this link: http://webmedia.jcu.edu/hr/files/2018/12/I-4-9-Staff-Vacation-Leave-08_24_18.pdf  

The University’s personal time policy can be found via this link: http://webmedia.jcu.edu/hr/files/2017/06/I-4.7-Personal-Time_6_9_2017.pdf.  If you have exhausted all available leave balances, you can take the time as unpaid.

Will there be negative repercussions for taking extended time off related to quarantine or being sick?

There are no negative repercussions for taking extended time off related to quarantining or being sick due to COVID-19. Any employee needing to take leave should stay home at the first sign of symptoms and notify their supervisor as soon as they can.  Our priority is maintaining the health and safety of the JCU community, and we are committed to supporting any of our staff affected by the COVID-19. 

Will there be negative consequences if I need to take time off due to the closure of my child’s school or dependent’s care center?

We are committed to supporting our staff during this time. Our Attendance and Punctuality policy establishes expectations for employees’ attendance and supervisors are encouraged to be flexible and accommodating with staff during this challenging time.  The following are general attendance expectations for all staff employees:

  • Give as much advance notice for an absence or curtailed working time (late arrival or early departure) as possible.
  • Follow call-in procedures.
  • Record work time and your use of time off benefits accurately.
  • Follow your supervisor’s instructions and directives.

How do I request authorization to work from home?

You must request authorization to work from home from your supervisor via the Telecommuting Request Form. Your supervisor will consider a number of factors including:

  • The service needs of the community;
  • The nature of the work being performed;
  • Whether your position is classified as exempt (salary) or nonexempt (hourly eligible for overtime pay); 
  • The feasibility of using the home environment for work; and
  • Whether campus health and safety or health and safety of the employee are at risk.

Not all roles at John Carroll University lend themselves to work from home, so communication with your supervisor is key.

If I am approved to work from home, are there best practices to consider?

There is a detailed Telecommuting Policy on the Human Resources website. Here are a few quick suggestions:

  • Designate “office” space. Create a quiet place to concentrate and spread out. Find an area in which work-related material can be stored and organized and secured.
  • Adhere to the same work schedule that is followed on campus. Plan to be available during this time for students, colleagues, customers, etc. via phone and email.  If it is impossible to adhere to your schedule, alternatives should be discussed with and approved by your supervisor.
  • Communicate early, often and on a schedule. Communication can often be taken for granted when working on campus since people can drop in or ask questions informally. Working from home means that communication must be more formal and intentional. Consider set times each day for calls to discuss progress, check in, or get updates. Explore the use of technology to provide face-to-face interactions so that all the nuances of communication can occur.
  • Anticipate interruptions and manage outside demands. Establish rules or guidelines for yourself and others to make it clear that you are engaged on your job/work and not available for non-essential issues.

If I need to stay home to care for myself or a family member, can I also do work and not use my sick time?

The priority in any situation requiring sick time is to attend to your own or a family member’s needs. This time should be accounted for through the utilization of sick time or possibly vacation or personal leave. In most cases this means that working from home would not be feasible.

Whom do I contact if I have other questions?

Your supervisor is an important resource who can address most of your concerns.  The HR Team is also available to answer your concerns and our contact information can be found via this link: https://jcu.edu/hr/welcome/contact-hr.