Coronavirus Updates
For the most up-to-date news, please see the University’s official COVID‑19 information webpage.
For the most up-to-date news, please see the University’s official COVID‑19 information webpage.
For those working remotely, please adhere to supervisor expectations and University policies for monitoring email and other forms of communication, for performing job duties, and for protecting UT Dallas equipment, data, and documents while working remotely. To assist those of you who will be working remotely, please refer to this list of remote work resources and to these tips for working remotely. For those continuing to report to campus, please follow CDC guidelines on social distancing and continue to exercise good hygiene and judgment. Employees who feel ill should stay home.
To enable remote work as quickly as possible for as many employees as possible, UT Dallas equipment, data and documents may be taken offsite to the home of an employee to support remote work. This includes desktop computers, laptops computers, monitors, desktop printers and various peripherals.
This should remove the need, in most cases, to purchase more computers. It can also be beneficial for the employee to remain on the computer on which they already have installed software or local files.
Please note, however, that each school or department is responsible for tracking IT assets. Assets that leave campus are expected to return to campus when this emergency event concludes. The assets remain the legal property of UT Dallas and must be returned at any time requested.
These computers should have an encrypted hard drive, which is especially important now that they are leaving our campus property. Please ensure that machines are encrypted if they will be taken home.
Operationally, there will be challenges with internet access (desktops may need an Ethernet cable if there is no wireless card) and users may need a camera, microphone or speakers to fully utilize collaboration tools. Employees should work with their supervisor to acquire these items as needed.
Please contact your supervisor with any questions or concerns you may have about changes in your work assignment. As previously announced, the University will make accommodations for faculty and staff who have concerns about exposure to COVID-19 because of their health, age, or other factors or who are unable to return to campus due to self-isolation.
Please visit OIT’s Headsets page to learn more and request a headset.
The UT Dallas Office of Human Resources has compiled a list of free professional development resources that may be helpful for those who are working remotely.
LinkedIn Learning , powered by content from Lynda.com, is available to the UT Dallas community through the Eugene McDermott Library. LinkedIn Learning offers more than 12,000 courses, including topics such as business, software, technology and creative skills. To view available courses, log in using your UT Dallas NetID and password. A LinkedIn account is not required.
Skillsoft , hosted on the UT System Learning Zone, provides training in technology, supervision and leadership, communications, soft-skills, and certification/recertification training — more than 500,000 multimodal courses, videos, books and micro-learning modules. Sign on
using your NetID and password to search the Skillsoft library by topic or courses.
In addition to offering confidential counseling services, the Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program offers articles and trainings in a variety of subjects, from effective management to professional development. To access these trainings, visit the member log in page
and enter “utdallas” for both the username and password. Most topics include links to journal articles as well as on-demand online seminars and elearning modules. Online seminars are one hour. Elearning seminars are 15 to 30 minutes and include a certificate upon completion.
Coursera courses include everything from free courses to full master’s programs, offered by some of the top universities in the country. Coursera courses last approximately four to 10 weeks with one to two hours of video lectures a week. Courses are provided on-demand, allowing learners to move at their own pace. Create a free account
to get started.
Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX is a global nonprofit that offers hundreds of classes and courses from over 120 universities and colleges. The class topics range from data and computer science to leadership and communications. Learners have the opportunity to take courses individually or design a program or seek a degree. Most of the individual courses can be audited for free. Create a free account
to get started.
Alison is a free online training and education platform that focuses on workplace skills. It offers over 1,000 free courses; there is a charge to obtain certification. Create a free account
to get started.
Here are some helpful tips to protect your health and ensure productivity while working from home.
For more healthy tips on working from home or managing stress, please visit the employee wellness website or email Taylor Tran, employee health program manager, at taylor.tran@utdallas.edu. For questions regarding your UT Dallas health benefits, please email benefits@utdallas.edu or your designated benefits administrator. Additionally, our Research, Campus, and Environmental Safety team wanted to share the following resources regarding proactively addressing ergonomic safety at remote workstations.
These resources are also available on the Campus Occupational Safety & Health webpage. If you have further questions about this topic, please contact Renee Witherspoon at x6111 or by email at Renee.Witherspoon@UTDallas.edu.
UT Dallas will offer COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Emergency Family and Medical Leave (EFML) to all eligible UT Dallas employees pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).* The leave provided under the FFCRA does not modify an employee’s right to use sick or vacation time, as set forth in our current policies. Rather, these new provisions expand the University’s employee benefits by requiring that UTD grant additional leave to certain employees due to COVID-19 through Dec. 31, 2020.
*This memorandum is subject to change based on forthcoming regulations from the Department of Labor (DOL), issued guidance or other legal authority.
There are two types of leave provided under the FFCRA:
Employees may take leave under the FFCRA only if the employee is unable to work (or telework) due to the COVID-19-related qualifying reasons set forth below.
For additional information on the FFCRA, please visit the Department of Labor website.
Employee Rights (required poster)
EFML does not impact an employee’s rights under the existing FMLA law. If an employee needs to request leave for a traditional FMLA-qualifying reason, they should contact loa@utdallas.edu and follow the processes set forth on the HR Website.
Generally, yes. Employees returning from EFML will be restored to their original or an equivalent position.
EPSL: After the first workday (or portion thereof) an employee receives EPSL, the employee must provide advanced notice prior to taking additional leave whenever possible.
EFML: The employee must provide as much notice of leave as is practicable when the need for leave is foreseeable.
Employees must submit the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Request Form and provide the documentation required. Send the completed form and support documentation to loa@utdallas.edu. Please see specific questions from the DOL and IRS FAQs below for additional information. For questions, email loa@utdallas.edu.
No, not for EPSL. However, since EFML is only paid at two-thirds rate of pay, the employee may choose to use accrued state leave prior to accessing EFML.
Yes. EPSL may be used intermittently as long as it is in full-day increments. EFML may be used intermittently in less than full-day increments. This answer is subject to change based on DOL guidance.
No.
You must provide to your employer documentation in support of your paid sick leave as specified in applicable IRS forms, instructions and information.
Your employer may also require you to provide additional documentation in support of your expanded family and medical leave taken to care for your child whose school or place of care is closed, or whose child care provider is unavailable, due to COVID-19-related reasons. For example, this may include a notice of closure or unavailability from your child’s school, place of care or child care provider, including a notice that may have been posted on a government, school or day care website, published in a newspaper, or emailed to you from an employee or official of the school, place of care or child care provider. Your employer must retain this notice or documentation in support of expanded family and medical leave, including while you may be taking unpaid leave that runs concurrently with paid sick leave if taken for the same reason.
Please also note that all existing certification requirements under the FMLA remain in effect if you are taking leave for one of the existing qualifying reasons under the FMLA. For example, if you are taking leave beyond the two weeks of emergency paid sick leave because your medical condition for COVID-19-related reasons rises to the level of a serious health condition, you must continue to provide medical certifications under the FMLA if required by your employer.
An Eligible Employer will substantiate eligibility for the sick leave or family leave credits if the employer receives a written request for such leave from the employee in which the employee provides:
In the case of a leave request based on a quarantine order or self-quarantine advice, the statement from the employee should include the name of the governmental entity ordering quarantine or the name of the health care professional advising self-quarantine, and, if the person subject to quarantine or advised to self-quarantine is not the employee, that person’s name and relation to the employee.
In the case of a leave request based on a school closing or child care provider unavailability, the statement from the employee should include the name and age of the child (or children) to be cared for, the name of the school that has closed or place of care that is unavailable, and a representation that no other person will be providing care for the child during the period for which the employee is receiving family medical leave and, with respect to the employee’s inability to work or telework because of a need to provide care for a child older than 14 during daylight hours, a statement that special circumstances exist requiring the employee to provide care.
The Galerstein Gender Center is available to advise and connect with University community members through email at gendercenter@utdallas.edu and on social media: Facebook , Twitter
and Instagram
.
The center also shared the following resources:
The state has created a portal to assist frontline essential workers in finding child care options. The Frontline Child Care website is an initiative of Gov. Greg Abbott in coordination with Texas Education Agency, Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Health and Human Services, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
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