Dear UAB staff,
The last several weeks have brought on a great amount of uncertainty as we have all learned about COVID-19 and dealt with it in our daily lives, both personally and professionally. With many of our staff members now working remotely, all of our children out of school and all of us trying to figure out our new routines, I hope that you are making the appropriate adjustments to ensure that you and your family are protected as much as possible from this virus. It is going to be important throughout the coming weeks that we take care of both our mental and physical well-being and ensure sure that we have mechanisms in place for handling added stress and anxiety. We must remember to be strong and courageous as we settle into what is, hopefully, our temporary “new normal.”
Please remember that there are many resources available for you to receive accurate, timely and helpful information related to COVID-19 and the university’s response. For complete information, please visit uab.edu/coronavirus. This site provides information on any changes in business operations and houses links to Employee Health, the Employee Assistance Counseling Center and the Benevolent Fund. It can answer many of the questions that you may have related to the many areas of the university that will help you and your family navigate this time confidently.
At this point, we don’t know how long these measures will have to be in place, but please remember that we are all in this together. We work for one of the greatest universities and health systems in the country; our health care providers and researchers are fighting this battle on the frontlines and working to protect all of us. This situation continues to be very fluid and rapidly evolving, and we are all working hard to respond as quickly and effectively as possible and ensure that each of you are well-informed. As we often hear, one of UAB’s greatest assets is our people, and we have strong leadership that is doing their best to ensure that we have the resources that we need to weather this storm and come out on the other side stronger.
The UAB Staff Council is here to support all of our staff during this time. It is our job to advocate for UAB staff members and ensure that your voice is heard. If you have concerns or issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at
Sincerely,
Jennifer R. Breland, PhD
Chair, UAB Staff Council