To our University Faculty and Staff:
As we acclimate to our “new normal” in our attempts to address the COVID-19 situation, we know that you have many questions about University Human Resources policies and practices for our staff members who may be affected, whether this is remote work or essential staffing, or unexpected childcare issues. We are assessing our resources and our staffing requirements and will have more comprehensive information to share with you next week. It is important to note that at this time the University and Medical Center remain open and staff should continue to report to work as usual. We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to take steps to keep our community safe and healthy, such as our new social distancing measures.
In times of instability like this, we think it’s important to remind everyone that our staff are the University’s most important asset. We are all working in a fluid environment with a great deal of uncertainty at this point. Some of us are already being asked to take new approaches to work, such as bringing classes online, shifting dining service procedures, or canceling events, while at the same time dealing with the prospects for changes in our personal lives and concern for ourselves and our loved ones.
The Human Resources team is committed to providing you with clear guidance and support as quickly as possible, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we all work through this together. As the situation develops, we will share HR policies and guidelines on the University’s COVID-19 website. We have been collecting information on what to do for various situations and how the University should respond, and are also preparing Q&As for the website by early next week. If you have questions or unique circumstances that must be addressed immediately, do not hesitate to contact your supervisor or HR Business Partner for information.
Yours sincerely,
Holly Crawford, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
Tony Kinslow, Associate Vice President for Human Resources/Chief Human Resources Officer
Note: This message was sent via email to faculty and staff on March 13.