Guidelines for compensating employees who have been exposed, exhibit symptoms or test positive have been revised, and units/departments are required to follow them for members of all workgroups, effective March 14.
With enhanced active sentinel testing for asymptomatic employees and a vigorous vaccination effort, positive test results continue to decrease for students, faculty, staff and employees within UAB’s clinical enterprise. The revised guidance explains the circumstances under which employees may continue to receive pay — and when they will be required to use benefit time — while they await COVID-19 test results, quarantine following a positive test result or recuperate from illness.
“In 2020 we developed guidelines that would help ensure the greatest number of our employees were financially secure and all operations could continue as the pandemic unfolded,” said UAB’s Chief Human Resources Officer Alesia Jones. “Now, as the effects of pandemic wane on our campus, we are able to return more closely to our traditional approach, and this uniform compensation document will help managers and employees navigate the varying circumstances that arise.”
A key element of the document is distinguishing circumstances that enable employees to receive pay for remote work or require them to use benefit time. Here’s a breakdown:
- All employees who participate in Active Sentinel Testing will be compensated for testing time.
- All employees who are instructed to test by Employee Healthafter reporting a close-contact exposure or COVID-19 symptomsmay work remotely — if feasible — until test results are received, typically within 24-48 hours. If remote work is not feasible, employees may use benefit time while awaiting test results.
- All employees who test positivefor COVID-19 must self-isolate as directed by their testing facility and/or Employee Health ( 10 or more days) and may work remotely, if feasible. Employees who are unable to work remotely or who are too ill to work may use benefit time or use FMLA if eligible until they are cleared to return to work.
