Dear Colleagues,
As the spread of the coronavirus continues to disrupt many of our personal and professional lives, we find ourselves in a period of unique challenge and uncertainty.
The chancellors and I, together with colleagues across the University of Nebraska system, are in daily communication about the impact of the virus on our community and what we can do to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff.
We hope to create as much stability as we can for members of our community through this rapidly changing situation. Many of us will face challenges in the days, weeks and months ahead, whether related to our own health, the health of a family member, or care for our children. I know the closings of Lincoln and Omaha schools, among others, has many of our families scrambling right now.
To provide you with greater flexibility to manage these challenges, I have created an emergency paid administrative leave policy related to COVID-19. Effective immediately and subject to supervisor approval, University of Nebraska employees may take up to 80 hours of administrative paid leave in the event of self-quarantine, quarantine or care of an immediate family member, childcare resulting from school closures, or other related scenarios. The emergency leave is available to all employees, including temporary and student workers; part-time employees will be eligible for a prorated amount of time.
"Effective immediately, University of Nebraska employees may take up to 80 hours of administrative paid leave in the event of self-quarantine, quarantine or care of an immediate family member, childcare resulting from school closures, or other scenarios related to COVID-19."
This temporary administrative leave policy can be used during the current pandemic, and we will re-evaluate the program as well as other leave policies as needed in the coming weeks.
I want to stress the University remains open and that flexible work arrangements remain our first line of defense. We expect supervisors to create as much flexibility as possible for their team members to continue to do their work, whether working remotely, working during non-business hours or other approaches.
However, we also know that not every job can be performed at home — and that unique challenges require unique solutions. My hope is that the option of emergency administrative leave gives you additional peace of mind as you care for your families, protect your health and continue to deliver on the vital mission of the University of Nebraska.
Our bottom line is that no employee should find themselves at a disadvantage because of this global pandemic.
Thank you again for all that you are doing to move our University forward even as we find our “new normal.” To witness your leadership and diligence during these times — and your care and concern for our 51,000 students — has reminded me yet again of the strength of our University system. There really is no place like Nebraska.
Ted Carter
President, University of Nebraska
COVID-19 Response
Temporary Pandemic Administrative Paid Leave
March 14, 2020
Effective immediately, University of Nebraska employees may take up to 80 hours of administrative paid leave in the event of self-quarantine, quarantine or care of an immediate family member, childcare resulting from school closures, or other related scenarios. The emergency leave is available to all employees, including temporary and student workers. Part-time employees will be eligible for a prorated amount of time.
This temporary administrative leave policy can be used during the current pandemic, and we will re-evaluate the program as well as other leave policies as needed in the coming weeks.
Campus leaders are strongly encouraged to use alternate work arrangements and telecommute options to keep continuity of campus operations to the extent possible.