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HR Guidance - Leave types and time tracking

University of Alaska SARS-COVID-2 COVID-19

 

April 9, 2020

TO: UA Employees
FROM: CHRO Steve Patin

RE: Leave types and time tracking

Greetings UA employees,

As we near the end of the current pay period, I want to make sure that everyone has the information they need to submit and approve timesheets.

Over the past week, we have been working to implement the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). We have been interpreting the requirements of the act and creating new leave balances. The process has not been without glitches and in some cases federal guidance didn’t come until after the implementation deadline. That guidance has resulted in one major difference from earlier communications: all employee types are eligible for the new federal leave options, including student and temporary employees.

For the current pay period, this is what you need to know:

Regular Earning Codes:

If you are working, whether remotely, or as a designated essential employee on campus, you will claim regular pay or leave, as appropriate. This includes annual leave if you are taking time off or need a mental health day, or regular sick leave if you are experiencing an illness not related to COVID-19.

Emergency Sick Leave (code 565):

As of April 1, if you cannot work or telework because:

  • you are subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19,
  • you have been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19,
  • you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and are seeking a medical diagnosis,
  • you’re caring for an individual subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19 or who has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19,
  • you’re caring for your child whose school or place of care is closed (or childcare provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons, or
  • you have a substantially similar condition as specified by federal authorities,

Then use code 565, Emergency Sick Leave, for all or part of your normal hours. Full-time employees have 80 hours available. Part-time employees’ maximum hours are prorated. Right now HR staff are populating each employee’s leave balance with this new leave category. If you try to use Emergency Sick Leave and receive an error saying you do not have any leave available, it is OK to ignore that error message for this pay period only and submit your timesheet for approval. As you continue to use this earnings code, especially if using it intermittently, keep an eye on your Emergency Sick Leave balance. If you try to claim Emergency Sick Leave and don’t have it available, those hours will become Leave Without Pay. 

If you continue to take leave after using all available Emergency Sick Leave, please make sure you choose a different leave code, such as regular sick leave, Expanded Family Medical Leave, annual leave, or leave without pay, as appropriate. 

Students and temporary employees: if you cannot return to work after using all of your Emergency Sick Leave, and if you do not qualify for the Expanded Family and Medical Leave for COVID-19 related childcare, then you claim no hours on your timesheet.

Expanded Family and Medical Leave (code 603 - by approval)

If you are an employee with at least 30 days of service, and 

  • you can’t work or telework because you're caring for your child whose school or place of daycare is closed (or childcare provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons,

Then apply for Expanded Family and Medical Leave using this EFML request form. Once granted, for the first two weeks you will not use the EFML code or receive EFML compensation. During those first two weeks of EFML leave, you may use the emergency sick leave code 565 (can be intermittent) or take annual leave, if available.  After the first two weeks of EFML leave, you will claim Code 603 for the balance of your EFML leave, up to 10 weeks. You will be paid at 2/3 your normal rate of pay for the EFML hours, up to a total of $10,000. Again, your available hours of EFML will be loaded into a new leave balance and you will need to track when you have used your maximum allowable leave, especially if claiming the leave intermittently. Once you have used all of your paid EFML leave, the remainder of your EFML leave will be leave without pay unless you choose to use your annual leave.

Administrative Leave

The use of administrative leave changed on April 1, but there were a few days on this pay period that preceded the change.

March 29-31
All employee types can claim administrative leave if they were unable to work from home but cannot work onsite due to COVID-19 closures. During this period, up to 20 hours of administrative leave per week could be used for childcare.

April 1 - April 11

All employee types can use administrative leave if they have an active job, are unable to work on site due to COVID-19 closures, and are unable to telework. After this pay period administrative leave will not be available for students or temporary employees.

After April 12 and until further notice

Benefits-eligible employees may use administrative leave if they have an active job, are unable to work on site due to COVID-19 closures, cannot perform their job remotely, and have been instructed to take administrative leave by their supervisor.

While the new forms of emergency sick leave, expanded family and medical leave or administrative leave do not use individual employees’ existing leave balances, they do not come without significant cost to the university. Employees and supervisors should work together to maximize opportunity for remote work and maintain flexibility to support employees and their families. As announced earlier this week, if furloughs are implemented due to the ongoing costs of our COVID-19 response, the use of any leave category may be affected.

Regularly updated FAQs on these new leave options, as well as a quick-reference guide to using the new earning codes, will be posted on the UA Coronavirus information website.

If you have questions you may contact ua-hr@alaska.edu or call 907-450-8200.