Information for employees

Review the following FAQs carefully.

• Information on remote work
• Information on sick and vacation time, and FMLA
• Information on technology
• Information on for UM/Aetna plan members
• Information on travel
• Information for managers
• Information on student employment
• Information for UHealth and Miller School of Medicine community
• Information on Mail Operations

Information on remote work

• Can employees work from home?

  The safety of our University community remains a top priority to limit density on campus. Temporary work-at-home arrangements will continue until further notice. Employees should continue to log in to Workday and complete the Telecommute Arrangement.

  Note: All work from home arrangements should be pre-approved by an employee’s direct supervisor for Gables/marine campuses. Advance approval is required from a manager,  department chair, and hospitals and ambulatory CEO, as appropriate, for UHealth employees.

• What tools are available to work remotely?

  Tools are available at www.it.miami.edu/continuity.

• How do I submit my Telecommuting form in Workday?

  To assist with telecommuting access requests, Workday has implemented online tracking of telecommuting agreements. Employees may access the WalkMe ActionBot located on the bottom right corner of your Workday home page. The ActionBot provides the employee with assistance on completing a variety of business processes including the Alternative Work Arrangement - Covid-19 request. All employees who are working from home must complete the work-from-home request section which routes to managers for approval so that we have an accounting of work location. For assistance please review the COVID-19 Telecommute Arrangement in Workday Tip Sheet or contact your HR Partner. For any technical issues, please email workday@miami.edu.

  To be eligible for the stipend, employees must have a completed and approved temporary Telecommuting Agreement in Workday. Email notices will be sent to employees who will be receiving the stipend and will be automatically paid in the last paycheck in April 2020. Temporary work-at-home arrangements will continue until further notice and a phased return to campus will occur when it’s deemed safe to resume operations. Technology Work from home stipends related to COVID-19 temporary arrangements will continue until further notice.

• If I do not have a UM-issued mobile device, will I get a stipend for using my personal mobile device to make phone calls?

  Yes. To support staff who are temporarily working from home, HR will be providing a pre-tax Technology Work from Home Stipend equivalent to $11.00 per week ($48.00 per month) for the period beginning March 16. The stipend covers a reasonable percentage of the cell phone and other technology expenses that may be generated by working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees who have a University cell phone or who are receiving a mobile allowance are not eligible for the COVID-19 Technology Work from Home Stipend. To be eligible for the stipend, employees must have a completed and approved temporary Telecommuting Agreement in Workday by April 15. Email notices will be sent to employees who will be receiving the stipend and will be automatically paid in the last paycheck in April 2020.  Technology Work from home stipends related to COVID-19 temporary arrangements will continue until further notice.

  For assistance please review the COVID-19 Telecommute Arrangement in Workday Tip Sheet or contact your HR Partner. For any technical issues, please email workday@miami.edu.

• I have a noisy work remote environment. What should I do?

  University leadership is requesting that functions be performed from home whenever possible except for critical operations that need to be performed on-site including direct clinical and patient care, certain student contact activities, and teaching-related support. Managers (and faculty who oversee staff) will determine who needs to remain on campus and employees must comply with those directions. If the employee’s home is not an appropriate environment, they should reach out to their managers and HR Partner to explore alternatives.

• For employees required to work on Coral Gables campus during COVID-19, will parking restrictions be lifted?

  Yes, parking enforcement has been lifted on the Coral Gables campus until further notice. You may park in any regular color zone with or without a UM permit.

• Will payroll deductions for Miami Dade transit, tri-rail and parking continue?

  Consistent with Miami Dade’s suspension of transit fares, UM payroll deductions for transit, tri-rail and parking will be suspended, effective March 19 until June 30, 2020 for all campuses.

• The Herbert Wellness Center and the UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center are closed until future notice due to COVID-19. Will I get a refund on my membership fee?

  Effective April 1, payroll deductions for membership fees for faculty and staff will be suspended until future notice and will be suspended until the Wellness Center resumes operation.  Please visit miami.edu/wellness (Herbert Wellness Center) and wellness.med.miami.edu (UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center) for future updates.

Information on sick and vacation time, and FMLA

• Does the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) apply for employees or immediate family members who may contract coronavirus?

  Yes, assuming an employee meets the eligibility criteria, COVID-19 would qualify as a “serious health condition” under FMLA, allowing an employee to take FMLA leave if the employee contracts the disease. FMLA leave is also available for an employee who needs time off if their family member contracts COVID-19 and the employee is required to care for their family member. The employee would be entitled to job reinstatement as outlined under FMLA guidelines.

• If an employee contracts COVID-19, what type of pay are they eligible to receive?

  Staff who are instructed by UHealth Infection Control to self-isolate to contain the spread of COVID-19, are eligible for Emergency Administrative time for scheduled hours up to the defined period for isolation not to exceed 14 days if their job duties cannot be performed at home. This temporary policy will continue until further notice.

  In addition to their accumulated sick time or Extended Illness Bank (EIB), PTO, floating holidays and other time off, staff who are symptomatic and/or are diagnosed with COVID-19- related illness, continue to be eligible for the following exception provision until further notice:

  • If sick/EIB/vacation/PTO time are exhausted, staff in this category may be eligible to borrow up to 21 days from their future sick/EIB bank if appropriate medical certification is received by a University leave coordinator. For more information, you may contact the University’s Leave Management team at umloa@miami.edu. This temporary policy will continue until further notice.
  • Staff enrolled in short term disability should apply for benefits.

  New COVID-19 Provision: If Worker’s Compensation claim demonstrates evidence of COVID-19 being contracted as a result of occupation, emergency administrative pay will be utilized to bridge the gap between Worker’s Compensation and full salary.

  If you are sick, stay home to avoid spreading illness. Employees should continue to follow their unit’s procedure for requesting sick time off.

• If a department physically closes or it is advisable that employees not work on campus because of safety or other changing conditions, and there is no work to perform remotely what will happen with employees’ pay?

  Staff are required to work from home whenever possible. If the nature of their job duties cannot be performed at home and cannot continue to be performed on campus due to the nature of the job or site closure, staff may be required to be deployed to other areas to remain in a pay status.

  The temporary Administrative Leave – Other policy expired on Friday, May 15 for Gables/Marine campuses. Employees impacted by this change have been notified. UHealth is in the process of resuming normal clinical operations and employees are being notified of their status and return to work date.

• What if my child’s school or regular care provider is closed?

  If remote work is not operationally feasible, staff may use accrued sick/EIB time in addition to vacation/PTO or floating holidays to which they are normally eligible to care for children who are at home as a result of school closures. Employees deemed to be essential to operations who decline University day care support will be ineligible to use sick bank time for this purpose.  As the school year comes to an end, this temporary policy will expire on May 31, 2020.

  Employees may not bring children or any relatives to work with them, particularly during this time.

• What if I am in a high-risk group identified by the CDC?

  Staff who are unable to work from home and fall into one of the high-risk groups as identified by the CDC and Miami-Dade County will be eligible to use accrued sick time/EIB in addition to vacation/PTO or floating holidays so that they may self-isolate at home to reduce risk. If sick/EIB/vacation/PTO time is exhausted, staff who fall in this category can borrow up to 21 days from their future sick/EIB bank. These temporary sick leave provisions have been extended until further notice. Employees in this category may be required to provide medical documentation.

• What steps should my unit take to prepare for disruptions to business continuity?

  Units across the University are updating their emergency preparedness plans and creating business continuity plans, which would be activated in the event of a widespread impact to the community. For example, the University is creating additional support for technologies that allow faculty members and students to continue their teaching and learning activities with minimal disruption, even if classroom attendance or traditional instruction is not possible. We recommend that faculty, staff, and students learn how to use academic and business continuity tools before they are needed in the event COVID-19 reaches our campuses.

  All units, including those engaged in research, are strongly encouraged to review and update continuity plans to minimize the impact to ongoing projects as a result of future changes due to COVID-19. Visit www.miami.edu/UReady for additional guidance.

• What should I do if I am sick and need to see a doctor?

  Faculty and staff are advised to contact their primary care physician. If you are not able to quickly get an appointment, we are offering the following services to UM/Aetna medical plan members in an effort to remove barriers to care:

  Access to telemedicine visits at $0 copays for any reason via Teladoc through May 31, 2020. Teladoc gives members access to U.S. board-certified physicians through the phone or mobile app, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access Teladoc (teladoc.com/Aetna) you need to create an account using your UM/Aetna Member ID. You may locate your Aetna Member ID on your insurance card, or by downloading a card at www.aetna.com.

• What happens if an asymptomatic employee who is otherwise able to work is told to self-isolate for 14 days as directed by UHealth Infection Control?

  Employees are required to work from home whenever possible. Staff who are instructed by UHealth Infection Control to self-isolate to contain the spread of COVID-19, are eligible for Emergency Administrative time for scheduled hours up to the defined period for isolation not to exceed 14 days if their job duties cannot be performed at home. This temporary policy will continue until further notice.

• An employee is scheduled to begin employment with the University, but the department is unable to provide onboarding and on-the-job training at this time? What will happen with the new hire’s start date and pay?

  Leadership’s expectation is that managers will orient and train employees through remote use of technology during this period. If they require assistance, they should work with their HR Partners to engage UMIT andHR’s Talent and Organizational Development team for support in facilitating this type of virtual training.

• What will happen to my vacation accrual if I had to cancel my travel plans as a result of COVID-19?

  Clinical and patient care employees were advised that they were restricted from traveling and will be eligible to roll over planned vacation time during COVID-19 for a 12-month period.

  Additionally, in recognition of these unique circumstances, the University will be establishing a special bank for all benefits eligible staff that operates much like floating holidays for any vacation days that were forfeited in FY20 between March 1 and May 31 as a result of our accrual policies. Staff will be eligible to use (or lose) these days over the course of the next three years. Additional information will follow on this provision and we will continue to evaluate the impact into FY21.

• How has COVID-19 impacted pay and benefits?

  There have been Total Rewards (pay and benefit) updates due to COVID-19. To learn more about time tracking, medical and retirement benefits, FMLA and more, click here.

Information on technology

• If I have technology issues while working remotely, who should I contact?

  For technical issues, please contact the UMIT Service Desk at (305) 284-6565 or help@miami.edu. To review remote access UMIT FAQs, click here.

• I have technology and internet connectivity questions regarding approved devices to use. Who should I contact?

  • Gables/Marine
    • Employees whose only option is to use a personally owned computer, laptop, or other device, are still responsible for following all university practices and policies to maintain security on their device. Please refer to IT Policies.
    • Faculty and staff on the Gables and Marine campuses who have already or will soon be taking computers home for remote work should send an email to their supervisor and to securityoperationsteam@miami.edu.  The email should include: the model and serial number and/or service tag of the device(s). UMIT will confirm that the device is encrypted; which they can do remotely and will not need to go to the employee’s desk or home. Once confirmed, UMIT will send a note back to the employee and supervisor confirming the computer is encrypted. If the device is not encrypted, UMIT will work with the employee to encrypt the device. For technical issues, please contact the UMIT Service Desk at (305) 284-6565 or help@miami.edu.
  • UHealth/MSOM
    • UHealth/MSOM employees who have already or will need computers at home for remote work should please complete the UHealth remote access request form. This request should include: the model and serial number and/or service tag of the device(s). For technical issues, please contact the UMIT Service Desk at (305) 284-6565 or help@miami.edu.

• Printing and scanning are part of my job duties. How can I complete these tasks while working remote?

  • For Gables/Marine campus employees who do not have scanners may use their phones to take pictures of documents for general administrative documents as long as it isn’t involving personal health information covered by HIPPA or other confidential information. For assistance encrypting a phone, please contact the UMIT Service Desk at (305) 284-6565 or help@miami.edu.
    
    
  • For UHealth/MSOM campus employees who do not have scanners may use their phones to take pictures of documents for general administrative documents as long as it isn’t involving personal health information covered by HIPAA or other confidential information. For assistance encrypting a phone, please contact the UMIT Service Desk at (305) 284-6565 or help@miami.edu.

• Are there mandated guidelines for size limit for group meetings on campus?

  University members remaining on campus are guided by the CDC to limit gatherings to under 10 people per group, per the government’s directive on group gatherings.

Information for UM/Aetna plan members

• Will UM/Aetna medical plan waive co-pays for COVID-19 related testing?

  Yes. UM/Aetna members will have co-pays waived for all diagnostic testing related to COVID-19. This includes coverage of test kits for patients who meet CDC guidelines, which can be done in any approved laboratory.

Information on travel

• May I travel outside the country?

  The latest information regarding updated travel guidance and restrictions for the University community can be found on the “Travel guidance” page of this website.

Information for managers

• Should I ask for a doctor’s note from an employee returning from a quarantine period who otherwise reports being asymptomatic?

  Any employee returning from a quarantine period as a result of being medically ill with COVID-19 must secure a doctor’s note to be cleared to return to work. If an employee is unable to secure an appointment with a doctor or an urgent care facility, they must report to the employee clinic before returning to the workplace.

  If an employee was instructed by our Infection Control unit to self-isolate for up to 14 days following return from one of the countries identified, a doctor’s note is not required provided the full 14 days have expired.

• Can I continue to hire during this time?

  The University has instituted a hiring freeze on all currently posted positions, vacant positions, and any new positions at least through December of 2020. The hiring freeze applies to all staff positions, including part-time and most temporary positions, but will not affect budgeted student worker positions or those fully funded through grants. For additional information and guidelines related to hiring, click here.

• Are there telecommuting guidelines for managers?

  • Gables/ Marine
    • For Gables/Marine campus telecommuting guidelines, click here. For Gables/RSMAS UMIT remote access FAQs, click here.
  • UHealth/MSOM
    • For UHealth/MSOM telecommuting guidelines for managers, click here.

• The TALK performance evaluation is scheduled to close May 1st. Will there be an extension so that the evaluations can be completed?

  We understand the challenges in completing a performance evaluation during this period. The FY20 final TALK performance evaluations deadline has been postponed until further notice. However, if you do have time during this period, please complete the assessment(s) in Workday. For more information on TALK, click here.

• When will new employee orientations take place?

  • New employee orientation sessions will take place on Mondays starting at 9:00 a.m. via live web-conference, Zoom.
  • ‘I am the U’ (orientation for all new hires) will take place on Mondays at 9:00 a.m.. At 10:30 a.m., all Coral Gables and marine campus employees will leave the session and medical campus employees will be given a 15-minute break before their next session begins.‘We Care’ (orientation for all medical new hires) will take place at 10:45 a.m. after the participants’ 15-minute break.

• When will new employees complete their onboarding required education CBLs (computer-based learning)?

  • New employees will be given instructions on accessing their CBLs during their orientation sessions. They will be able to complete those CBLs after their orientation sessions. For technical issues, new employees are being asked to contact the appropriate IT office:
    • Gables/marine employees,contact IT at 305.284.6565 or help@miami.edu.
    • Medical employees,contact IT at 305.243.5999 or help@med.miami.edu.

• Where can new employee’s pick-up their ID badges?

  • Only employees designated by their manager as needing to work on campus at this time are able to pick-up ID badges.
    • For Gables/marine campus: Supervisors will need to submit a Work Order detailing the access required and send an email to Nick Poynter (poynter@miami.edu), Sr. Manager, Parking & Transportation Customer Service,with new hire details including the employee’s start date. The employee will receive a temporary ID to carry along with an official ID (such as a driver’s license) with them at all times while on campus.
      • Medical campus: Employees will need to go to the appropriate Public Safety office:
        • UHealth Tower employees can pick-up their ID at the Public Safety office located on the first floor of The Tower next to Starbucks.
        • All other medical essential employees can pick-up their ID at the Public Safety office located on 15^th street.

• Can temporary employees work from home?

  Yes, provided the temporary employee’s assignment 1) needs to continue, 2) can be performed remotely, and 3) there is funding, there is no reason why a temporary employee cannot work from home during this period.

Information on student employment

• I manage student employees. Should they come to work?

  Hourly student employees should be given the option to work from now until April 4, as they continue to be eligible to work if they plan on returning to campus or reside locally.

• Should I change my student(s) schedule?

  You can adjust or extend hours worked as long as we continue to follow the Federal Financial Aid guidelines for work study students. Federal Financial Aid guidelines

• Who should I speak to for more information?

  For any questions, please contact the Office of Financial Assistance and Student Employment at 305-284-6000 or ose@miami.edu.

Information for UHealth and Miller School of Medicine community

• Where can I get information specific to UHealth?

  Log in with your CaneID to View news and information about COVID-19 for the UHealth and Miller School of Medicine community.

Information on Mail Operations

• What are the current details regarding mail operations on campus?

  Mail Operations on the Coral Gables campus:
  Location: 1101 Stanford Drive (Mahoney Pit)
  Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  Office phone: 305-284-5255
  Email: ledelgado@miami.edu
  Manager: Luis Delgado
  Additional contact: Jon Fleming

  If you are unable to reach the office, call Auxiliary Services at 305-284-3584, or Armando Cuervo at 305-297-2114.

  • Departments are encouraged to contact Mail Operations at ledelgado@miami.edu or 305-284-5255 to confirm whether their departments are open and accepting mail
  • Only one mail route is active daily; however, with advance notice, the route can be adjusted to add a stop the next day
  • Mail Operations only processes USPS incoming/outgoing and inter-departmental mail
  • Departments are asked to communicate with FedEx, UPS, DHL and Amazon directly to make arrangements; those carriers are able to re-route mail based on customer request
  • Departmental and Private PO Boxes located in the University Center must request that Mail Operations pull their mail and HOLD for pick up in the mailroom; customers may choose to file a temporary address change, if preferred

  
  

  Contact Luis Delgado at 305-284-5255 with any questions or for special requests/circumstances.