FAQ’s Related to COVID-19

Saint Mary’s COVID-19 Working Group, which represents vital departments throughout the College, is closely monitoring this health situation, preparing for potential scenarios and rapidly responding to new information. Please refer to the Responding To The Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage for overall updates on the College’s response to this public health concern.

Regular, pragmatic advice still applies. If you are sick, you should not go to class or work until you have been evaluated by a medical professional. The CDC recommends individuals who have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or who have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of COVID-19 take the following actions:

• If you have returned from travel to China, South Korea, Italy or Iran or have a family member or housemate who has returned from these countries in the last 14 days, we ask that you self-isolate for 14 days after your return date so as not to increase the potential exposure of the coronavirus to the larger campus community.  We encourage employees in self-isolation to call their supervisors to explore the ability to work from home.

• If you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, seek medical care right away, but call the doctor's office or emergency room before going, and tell them of your recent travel and symptoms. 

• Avoid contact with others and do not go to class or work until you have been evaluated by a medical professional.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (and not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

• If someone reports to you that they are feeling sick with a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and they have recently traveled to any area with ongoing transmission of the virus reported by the CDC, encourage them to seek medical care using the steps listed above.

• If you are ill, do not return to the workplace until you have gone at least 24 hours free of fever and unaided by fever-reducing medication.

In accordance with updates from the Health and Wellness Center, we encourage all staff to follow preventative measures. Most importantly, if you are sick, stay at home.  And if you have been in contact with someone who has been infected with COVID-19, or traveled recently to an affected country, self-isolate for 14 days.

During this time our existing Telecommuting policy, which limits virtual work to 20 percent of work time,  will be lifted, for those needing to self-isolate and work 100 percent from home.  Communicate directly with your manager or supervisor to discuss virtual work agreements.   

California's meal and rest period requirements for non-exempt employees apply to remote workers. All non-exempt employees are still required to take appropriate meal and rest periods while working remotely.

Here are additional resources for your review:

• Here is a good article for working virtually.

• Here is a good article on what to pay attention to with your desk set-up , screen time and more.

• Taking a walk can make a simple but big difference once or twice a day. 

• Here is a good article on dealing with grief during this time.

• This is a link to IT support and answers, when working virtually.

Employees should record their actual hours worked on their time card. For hours that cannot be worked remotely, either all of or a portion of a regularly scheduled shift may be coded with the appropriate sick or vacation accrual. If you do not have sick or vacation time accrued, contact the Human Resources for additional options.  

As information about Coronavirus unfolds, there can be a wide range of thoughts, feelings and reactions.  Below is the contact information for the College’s Employee Assistance Program.  Please don’t hesitate to take advantage of this resource.

SMC's Employee Assistance Program
Available by calling the 24/7 line (800) 834-3773
Website: https://www.claremonteap.com/
Company Name to Register: Saint Mary's College

Please refer to the Responding To The Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage for overall updates, and FAQ's on the College’s response to this public health concern. Additionally, SMC's Health and Wellness Center offers information on recent updates from the Contra Costa Health Service Department.

Support for working virtually can be found on the IT Services webpage and within this Academic Resiliency Checklist.  Questions you should ask your colleagues and supervisor include: Does everyone understand how Zoom works, how to share a screen or set up a call?  This is a good time to test a Zoom meeting; instructions to do so can be found here. In addition, employees and supervisors should be in communication about their work from home options. Do they have access to computer equipment and are they able to connect virtually if they need to be at home for an extended period of time?

Currently health benefits are available to those employees who work 1,560 (30 hours per week) - 2,080 (40 hours per week) hours annually.  If your hours are reduced to less than 30 hours per week during the COVID-19 event, your benefit eligibility will not be impacted during the current shelter-in-place period.

If an employee becomes ill or quarantined or has to care for a family member, they should first notify their supervisor/manager.  Next, please contact the Benefits Department in Human Resources at benefits@stmarys-ca.edu.  Then, please do not delay in completing your online California State Disability or Paid Family Leave claim.  The normal one week unpaid waiting period has been waived per the Governor's Executive Order. See full HR FAQ here.

We encourage you to review the FAQs provided by the Employment Development Department (EDD) for guidance on what programs are available and what situations may be applicable to your circumstances.

The government has made several important changes to existing benefits.  Unemployment Insurance, usually reserved for those out of work, provides partial wage replacement benefit payments to workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced, through no fault of their own. Workers who are temporarily unemployed due to COVID-19 and expected to return to work with their employer within a few weeks are not required to actively seek work each week. However, they must remain able and available and ready to work during their unemployment for each week of benefits claimed and meet all other eligibility criteria.  The Governor’s Executive Order waives the one-week unpaid waiting period, so you can collect UI benefits for the first week you are out of work. More information on Unemployment Insurance Benefits can be found on the Employment Development Department Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) FAQs webpage.