Q: What if a student employee is asked to return to work but would like to request a medical accommodation?
A: According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals with certain conditions may have a higher risk for COVID-19 infection. Student employees who have been requested to return to work on-site and have a medical condition that may place them in a higher risk group may seek reasonable accommodations related to Returning to Campus. Please contact the Employee Relations team in the Office of Human Resources at EmployeeRelations@depaul.edu. A representative from Employee Relations will work with the student employee and manager if accommodations are deemed necessary.
Q: What if a student employee is uncomfortable returning to work on campus?
A: Student employees who have been asked to return to work on-site and are uncomfortable doing so should consult with their manager on alternative options within their department. If not feasible, the student employee should consider applying for other positions on the Campus Job Board where “remote” is indicated as the location.
Q: What if a student employee's position needs to be put on hold for right now but plan on returning at some point, do they need to be terminated in the system?
A: As long as the student is enrolled, it is fine to keep them active until the position resumes. If they are not enrolled, they will need to be terminated and can be re-hired once the position resumes and the student employee is enrolled for that quarter.
Q: If a student employee decides to not return to work at this time, do I need to keep the position open until they are comfortable?
A: OSE would encourage managers to keep the position open but understands if those responsibilities need to be reassigned. If that is the case, we would ask that the student has the option to come back once the position becomes available or if more staffing is needed due to restrictions being lifted.
Q: Given CDC recommendations, can I ask my student employee to perform additional tasks like cleaning?
A: The responsibility of keeping the campus clean and safe will be the responsibility of the entire DePaul community. Student employees are required to clean their work spaces as much as possible but especially when leaving work for the day. Managers who monitor shared or communal spaces are encouraged to ask students to clean their space upon leaving. If additional cleaning needs to be done, please discuss this new responsibility with your student employee as well as update their job description to reflect the change. Additional materials like gloves should be provided as well as open dialogue with your student on any questions or concerns they may have with this new responsibility.
Q: What if my student employee needs to quarantine due to exposure?
A: If a student employee is actively working on campus and needs to quarantine, an OSE representative will be in contact with the manager to discuss plans on when the student can return to work. For more information on how to report process, please visit the Return to Campus page.
Q: What happens if a student employee is traveling from a state included in the City of Chicago's Travel Order?
A: All student employees are expected to follow the current travel order set by the City of Chicago. Please visit the City of Chicago's website for more guidance. Student employees must notify their manager of any quarantine requirements based on their travel.