Changes to the University's Policy on Contagion Pay

Update: As of September 2023, the University’s policy regarding contagion pay can be found in Policy 326.

Effective January 1, 2023, the University has made changes to University Policy 324: Reassignment/Absence to Prevent Contagion Due to Workplace Exposure to align with New York State guidance and updated administrative practices.

Changes to the Coronavirus Addendum include:

A limit of three (3) instances, retroactive to January 1, 2022, of paid time off due to COVID-19 illness.
- For faculty and staff who received COVID contagion pay in 2022, the University will count one instance toward their three eligible instances.
- Those who did not use COVID contagion pay in 2022 will begin 2023 with three eligible instances.
- If an individual is not eligible for contagion pay, they may use their accrued time (sick, PTO, vacation) if available.

Faculty and staff should report absence due to COVID-19 illness directly to their manager rather than calling University Health Services (UHS). Employees in a Medical Center Department should provide COVID-proof positive results to SMHEHTesting@urmc.rochester.edu from their University email.
All subsequent instances requiring contagion pay beyond the initial instance will require a positive test from a licensed provider or testing facility.
Follow guidance from a personal medical provider or Employee Health for Medical Center employees to return to work following an absence.

Manager FAQs

How does a timekeeper find the Contagion pay usage information in HRMS to track the number of times an employee has been paid contagion pay since January 1, 2022?

HRMS provides a “Elapsed Time Report” that will help timekeepers track the number of times an employee has received the contagion pay time code. Timekeepers can access historical data in the report for instances where the employee may have transferred from another department at the University. Timekeepers can use the following how-to guide to access the report.

Employees in a Medical Center Department should provide COVID-proof positive results to SMHEHTesting@urmc.rochester.edu from their University email.

To whom does an employee who does not work in a Medical Center Department provide the COVID proof positive result they obtained from a licensed provider or testing facility to be eligible for contagion pay for instance 2 and 3?

The employee should provide proof of a positive test from a licensed provider or testing facility for consideration for contagion pay for instance 2 and 3 to their manager directly to receive contagion pay under the policy. The employee should send the document through a University system, such as their University email, or provide a hard copy. Employee testing information should not be sent through text messages or to private email addresses.

Managers do not usually receive employee health information. Is it ok for me to receive the COVID test results?

For Managers who do not work in a Medical Center Department, it is permissible for the manager to receive the COVID proof positive result the employee obtained from a licensed provider or testing facility for the purposes of validating eligibility for contagion pay in accordance with our policy. The manager has a business reason to receive this information, and they will use it to accurately code the employee’s time for the absence as contagion. That said, the general practice against managers receiving employee health information is still in effect, and this is a limited exception to that practice. The documentation of a positive test must be kept in a confidential location (see below for more information) but should not be placed in the employee’s personnel file.

What should the manager do with the COVID proof positive after using it to accurately record the contagion pay for the employee?

The documentation should be retained to avoid any future dispute about whether the absence used up one of the three instances of COVID pay.

There are different options for retention. The manager can secure the COVID proof positive in a separate “medical folder” outside his/her personnel files, or there could be a secure network folder for the manager to maintain these records. Any method of retention is required to maintain the confidentiality of the COVID-proof positive result. Access to these records should be limited. The information must not be placed in the employee personnel file.

For the second and third instance of COVID contagion pay, does the test need to be a PCR?

The test, which does not need to be a PCR test, must be administered by a licensed provider or testing facility.

How many days of contagion pay are available to an employee with a positive test?

The employee should follow the direction of their medical provider or Employee Health for employees working in a Medical Center department to determine when to return to work. The University will pay contagion pay for up to a maximum of 14 calendar days. If the individual must remain out of work beyond 14 days, and the employee is not eligible for another round of contagion pay, the employee may be eligible for paid family leave, disability, or workers’ compensation, or other leave time may be used, such as vacation or sick. For work-related exposures resulting in an illness, complete an incident report, and for non-work-related exposures resulting in quarantine or illness, employees should contact The Hartford.

Do the three (3) instances ever re-set?

No, the University will provide three instances of contagion pay in total from January 1, 2022, forward. If an employee misses work due to COVID for a fourth time, other eligible sick and leave time may be used.

Examples of application of COVID Contagion Pay policy

Faculty and staff not working in a Medical Center Department

Scenarios:

Scenario 1:

An employee had COVID in April of 2021 and received contagion pay. The individual has not had any other instances of COVID contagion pay. In February 2023, the employee starts to feel ill and takes an at-home test which is positive for COVID.

This would count as the first instance of Contagion pay as the policy is effective as of January 1, 2022 and this individual’s previous instance occurred before the policy effective date.
The employee must alert their manager and follow the direction of their medical provider to return to work.
The home test is acceptable for the first instance; no further proof is required beyond a photo of an at-home test.

Scenario 2:

An employee received contagion pay for COVID on March 3, 2022. The employee has no other instances of COVID contagion pay. On February 1, 2023, the individual feels sick and takes a home test. The test is positive for COVID.

The employee should alert their manager and seek a test from a licensed provider or testing facility, such as a local pharmacy if they wish to be eligible for contagion pay.
The employee has already received their first instance of contagion pay after January 1, 2022, when the policy is effective. Eligibility for their second instance of contagion pay requires confirmation of a positive result from a licensed provider or testing facility. The employee must email a copy of the positive test result from a licensed provider or testing facility to their manager and follow the direction of their medical provider to return to work.

What if an employee had two instances of COVID contagion pay in 2022?

The University is only counting one instance of COVID contagion pay in 2022. This is because we were not requiring confirmation of a positive test result from a licensed provider or testing facility in 2022 for instance 2 and 3 of contagion pay, and employees won’t likely have the confirmation from a licensed provider.

Faculty and staff who work in a Medical Center Department

Scenarios:

Scenario 1:

An employee who works in a Medical Center Department, who has never used contagion pay due to COVID, is not feeling well. Before work, the employee takes an at-home test that is positive for COVID.

The employee will be required to send a photo of the at-home test to Employee Health at SMHEHTesting@urmc.rochester.edu.
This is the first instance of COVID since January 1, 2022, so the employee is eligible for contagion pay without any testing and without providing any medical information.
The employee should follow the directions from Employee Health regarding isolation and return to work protocols.

Scenario 2:

An employee who works in a Medical Center Department was out of work due to COVID in January 2022 and received contagion pay. In June of 2023, the employee is not feeling well and takes an at-home test. The test is positive for COVID.

Since this is their second instance of a possible COVID infection since January 1, 2022, the employee must receive a positive test from a licensed medical provider or testing facility to be eligible for contagion pay after they receive their test results. The test should be sent to Employee Health at SMHEHTesting@urmc.rochester.edu.
Employee Health will notify the employee’s Manager when a positive test from a licensed medical provider or testing facility is received.
The employee should follow the directions from Employee Health regarding isolation and return to work protocols.