Information for Faculty & Staff

Employees who are experiencing symptoms of, or have tested positive for, COVID-19 should follow CDC guidance and stay home from work, as should unvaccinated employees who’ve had close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

FREE tests are available through Test Iowa and offer several local pick-up sites for convenience. The Student Health Center (SHC) on campus also has a supply of non-rapid test kits in their lobby.

A third round of FREE tests per household from the US Government are available and mailed directly to you by ordering at COVIDtests.gov.

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 and believe you have been exposed on the job you should contact your supervisor and complete a First Report of Injury (FROI) form (online form password is 'froi'). The FROI will be reviewed and, depending on the incident details, may be evaluated by the state’s third-party administrator to determine whether the claim meets the criteria to be classified as workers’ compensation. For additional information or questions about workers’ compensation, contact HRS at workcomp@uni.edu or 319-273-2422 and/or review the UNI Workers' Compensation supporting web page.

Please follow your departmental protocol for reporting off work.

For more information about leaves, refer to the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

No, employee health information should not be shared with others. Employees testing positive should be directed to CDC guidance.

Yes. Employees may be sent home by their supervisor if they are sick, or appear sick. The university is required to maintain a safe and healthy environment and has broad discretion over when and where an employee is at work. Supervisors should not attempt to determine whether someone has COVID-19.

Employees, including student employees, with COVID-like symptoms more severe than their baseline should follow CDC guidance.

Effective October 1, 2021, paid leave options for COVID-related reasons are limited to available accruals, such as sick leave, vacation time, or comp time in accordance with the normal utilization limits. For further details, visit the Paid and Unpaid Time Off web page. You may also discuss potential remote work options or the ability to make up time worked with your supervisor.

Note: COVID-19 leave options expired on September 30, 2021.

During any period of required self-isolation or quarantine, the faculty or staff member should discuss options with their supervisor. Remote work may be a viable option and supervisors are encouraged to offer reasonable flexibility to accommodate remote work in this situation whenever possible. If remote work is not appropriate or available, the individual’s pay status will depend on the situation. In most cases, the employee will be required to use accrued leave, such as sick leave, vacation, comp time, as applicable. If no accruals are available and the time is to be unpaid, those who are 'hourly paid salary' or 'salaried' will need to code Off Duty (unpaid leave) on their timecard. If the self isolation or quarantine period is greater than one (1) month, the employee will be placed in an unpaid status.

If the employee was exposed or contracted COVID-19 due to employment related travel, the employee should complete the First Report of Injury (FROI) form (password: froi).

Follow CDC guidance or instructions from your healthcare provider regarding when you can return to campus. If you have further questions, please contact hrs-leaves@uni.edu or HRS at 319-273-2422. Instructions will be based on the most current CDC and Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidance. Please understand that this guidance continues to evolve and may change.

Bringing a child to work under these circumstances is not recommended or advisable and may be prohibited in many work areas. Pursuant to policy 13.22 Protection of Children in the Workplace, decisions on the appropriateness of the short-term presence of children in the workplace are to be made on a case-by-case basis by the supervisor or department head/director.

If employees must stay home with their child, they should discuss with their supervisor to determine if temporarily working remotely is an option.

You may be eligible to use vacation accruals if you are caring for your child and unable to work or remote work as a result of providing care. If your child has COVID-19, you may be able to utilize Family Caregiving Leave.

Leave accruals are not available to take care of a child whose school is open for in-person attendance. If your child is home not because their school is closed but because you have chosen for the child to remain home, you are not entitled to utilize leave accruals. View the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

If you meet the eligibility criteria for FMLA and have an FMLA-qualifying medical condition or event, FMLA will apply. Additional information on FMLA is available at the Family & Medical Leave Act supporting web page.

For more information about leaves, refer to the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

Depending on the situation, accrued sick, vacation, or comp time will run concurrently with FMLA leave as applicable. FMLA leave itself is not paid, so unpaid leave may be necessary if you do not have accrued paid leave.

For more information about leaves, refer to the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

Your health is a top priority and you should consult with your healthcare provider. An employee with a disability or health condition informed by their supervisor that remote work or an alternate work arrangement is not feasible, should initiate the workplace accommodations process with HRS.

For more information about leaves, refer to the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

Send an email regarding your FMLA leave situation to hrs-leaves@uni.edu. Additional information on FMLA is available at the Family & Medical Leave Act supporting web page.

If a healthy employee wishes to take leave to avoid possible exposure, they are expected to comply with existing university policy by requesting time off from their supervisor. To be considered an authorized absence, the time off must be approved by the supervisor in advance. Approval of the time off will be at the supervisor's discretion to meet operational needs. However, supervisors are encouraged to offer reasonable flexibility or remote work when possible without interfering with operational needs. Employees approved to remote work should follow the Telework Policy. To remain in paid status, the employee will be required to use accrued vacation or comp time. According to the Department of Labor, leave taken by an employee for the purpose of avoiding exposure to COVID-19 would not be protected by the FMLA.

For more information about leaves, refer to the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

Faculty and staff should contact hrs-leaves@uni.edu to review leave options.

For more information about leaves, refer to the COVID-19 Temporary Leave Flowchart.

Yes. Any faculty or staff who requests remote work beyond an occasional or irregular basis should be directed to the Remote Work Resources page to initiate a remote work request, which requires approval through the division head.

Remote work or alternate work arrangement requests related to an employee’s disability or health condition should initiate the workplace accommodations process with HRS.

If you have any questions about student employment, contact the Office of Career Services (319-273-6857).

It is important that your personal contact information is accurate and up-to-date. This information is used for your benefits and in emergencies. In the event an employee has a medical emergency on campus, it is essential we have emergency contacts.

To update your personal contact information please visit MyUniverse and click on the My Personal Information tab. For instructions on adding and/or editing emergency contacts, please view the instructional handout.

If you need to miss work time in order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, you may use your available sick leave, or in the absence of available sick leave, vacation or comp time accrued. You may also be able to work with your supervisor to make up the missed time.

If you need to miss work to take a family member to an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine, you can work with your supervisor to make up missed time, where possible or you can utilize accrued vacation leave.

If you are unable to report to work due to vaccine side effects, you may discuss remote work options with your supervisor if your position allows for remote work and you feel well enough to do so. Otherwise, you may utilize regular sick leave or other accruals available to you.

No, supervisors should not ask employees if they are vaccinated or if they plan to be vaccinated as it may lead to disclosure of disability and/or protected medical information.

UNI is waiving the cost of appropriate diagnostic testing and COVID-19 vaccine for those enrolled in our self-funded health insurance plans. This means there will be no out-of-pocket costs, including co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance for employees and their families who are enrolled in one of our health insurance plans for such testing.

Our self-funded health insurance plans will not cover quarantine costs for COVID-19. However, medical-related expenses will be covered if needed during the quarantine.

If you are sick, you may use sick leave accruals, if available. Employees may also work with their supervisor to determine if working remotely temporarily is an option.

Yes. To learn more about this virtual office option, visit the Doctor On Demand supporting web page.

Yes. If you are in an unpaid leave status, including when COVID-19 related, the employee may continue their health, dental vision and/or voluntary term life benefits, but would be responsible for the full cost of the health and dental insurance. To determine the cost of retaining coverage while on leave, please log into Benefits Self-Service to review employee and employer premiums for each plan you are enrolled in. An unpaid benefit election form should be completed with a benefits staff member in order to continue these benefits.

For additional information and guidance, contact HRS Benefits at hrs-benefits@uni.edu or 319-273-2423.

Employees may use their employee assistance program (EAP) benefits to help manage any anxiety or any uncertainty they are experiencing related to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Our EAP service also covers parent/child relationships, marital or couple relationships, drug or alcohol abuse, concerns for a friend or family member, self-esteem struggles, and much more. To access EAP services, call 1-855-784-2057 or visit theMyBenefits EAP supporting web page.

Employees may utilize virtual office visits through Doctor on Demand to speak to a board certified physician, or team of psychiatrists/psychologists. To learn more, visit the Doctor on Demand support web page.

Your Life Iowa is another free resource provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Visit this site if you, or a loved one, is facing alcohol, drugs, gambling, or mental health problems.

To view additional UNI services available to faculty and staff visit the Stress, Mental Health, and Grief Services web page.

In the event of a medical emergency, including emergency mental health (danger to self and/or others) call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room (ER).

According to Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), the State of Iowa ended participation in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits effective June 12, 2021. Unemployment eligibility requirements include being able and available to work, yet don’t have work available through no fault of their own. Contact IWD at 866-239-0843 for more information. IWD makes unemployment eligibility determinations.

Please note, UNI requires that all applicable leave accruals are exhausted before going into unpaid status.

No, UNI has not identified a need to offer an early retirement program at this time.

Employees may use their employee assistance program (EAP) benefits to access one free financial consultation annually.

The university provides free flu shots annually in the fall for employees. Family members may receive their vaccine through their health care provider or local pharmacies. To learn more about the scheduled clinics and local pharmacies that provide flu vaccines visit the HRS Free Annual Flu Vaccinations support web page.

Yes. Keep up-to-date with benefit and well-being offerings by visiting the My Benefits website, reading the Benefit and Well-being monthly email newsletter, and InsideUNI.

The university is still evaluating President Biden’s Executive Order 14042 which applies to federal contractors and is working with the Board of Regents to determine applicability. At this time, the university is making their vaccination verification and accommodation/exemption systems available to all campus employees on a voluntary basis.

Yes, if the vaccine record you provide now confirms you’ve met the definition of being fully vaccinated, you will already be in compliance if and when the university requires employees to be vaccinated.

As of August 31, 2021, WHO has listed the following COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use:

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., COMIRNATY, Tozinameran)

AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccines (e.g., Covishield, Vaxzevria)

Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine

Sinopharm BIBP COVID-19 vaccine

Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine 

If you participated in a US-based clinical trial and are documented to have received the full series of an “active” COVID-19 vaccine candidate, and vaccine efficacy has been independently confirmed, you are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after completing the vaccine series. (Currently Novavax COVID-19 vaccine meets these criteria.) Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC 

To be fully vaccinated, you must receive a complete series of COVID-19 vaccine(s) that are FDA or WHO authorized and approved. The safety and effectiveness of a mixed-product series have not been evaluated. COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs for Healthcare Professionals | CDC

You are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after your second dose (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech), or single dose (Johnson & Johnson). If you haven’t yet received a vaccine, please familiarize yourself with the time required to complete your vaccination sequence.

If you have a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance (including any non-theistic moral or ethical belief, observance or practice which is sincerely held with the strength of a religious view) that conflicts with participating in the program, an accommodation/exemption may be requested by submitting the religious accommodation/exemption request through the Panther Health Survey.

Yes, you will still need to upload your vaccination record via the Panther Health Survey in order to voluntarily provide this information even if you received a vaccination from the UNI Student Health Clinic. 

Yes, please upload your vaccination record via the Panther Health Survey in order to voluntarily provide this information. 

You can retrieve your COVID-19 vaccination record through the Student Health Clinic patient portal if they administered your vaccine or through your healthcare provider’s portal.

Vaccines are readily available, including at the Student Health Clinic (SHC) every Thursday from 1-3 p.m. and Friday from 9-11 a.m. To schedule an appointment call the SHC Covid line at 319-273-2100. Off-campus vaccines can be found by searching vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you.

No, the Student Health Clinic needs to have two identifiers to ensure they have the correct persons information. They will use the person's first and last name along with the date of birth that is identified on the vaccination record. 

Information and documents related to your COVID-19 vaccination will only be visible to you, Student Health Clinic records staff and Human Resource Services staff as necessary for processing.

Employee vaccination records are confidential medical records and will be kept confidential as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

If you need to miss work time in order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine off campus, you may use your available sick leave (medical appointment) or, in the absence of available sick leave, vacation or comp time accrued. You may also be able to work with your supervisor to make up the missed time within the same work week. 

No, you should not be inquiring of an individual’s vaccination or possible exemption.