Working Remotely

Reporting to work

Our professional staff, like students and our faculty, have significant family responsibilities. We thank the thousands of you who have continued to work efficiently through the pandemic. While some of you never stopped reporting physically to FIU, the majority of you have been working remotely since March. As of Oct. 5^th, however, professional staff began transitioning back to our campuses.

Supervisors are working with their respective teams to create safe repopulation work schedules. To those team members who have special considerations that must be addressed, your supervisors will work with you to be as flexible as possible. In the event more guidance is necessary, the Division of Human Resources stands ready to communicate options that are available to you. For more information regarding work options during the pandemic, please visit the HR COVID-19 website.

Research

For a comprehensive guide on how to ensure as little disruption as possible to my research and lab work visit:

Resources for FIU Research Community

Accessing office or labs

During the current remote working environment, essential functions are typically those which must continue in order to ensure the health/safety of the university and ensure the continuity of key operations. In the current remote working environment for FIU, there will be essential functions that will require some level of presence in research laboratories, both wet and dry.

Our focus is on the health and safety of the university community. We are assessing requests for needs to maintain essential laboratory activities on a case-by-case basis. In order to better manage the decisions on allowed essential laboratory functions, we are providing a request form, which can be completed then submitted for review and approval.

Visit Health & Safety for more on COVID safety measures on campus.

Zoom conferencing

The Division of Information Technology shared these tips on how to avoid security issues while using Zoom.

Frequently asked questions

Work Remotely vs. Return to Campus

What options are available to employees who are required to return to campus but have young children and are unable to find on-site daycare facilities or after-school support?
FIU’s repopulation plan is our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community, and it encourages flexibility. For staff who are challenged with childcare issues, every effort will be made to support remote work arrangements where feasible. In the situation where an employee’s role is deemed to be required on campus and the employee is unable to participate in a mandatory rotation, there are resources that may be available such as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides for pay continuation (up to a point). HR will work with the manager and employee to find the best solution.
For more information, please contact Benefits Administration leave team at hrleaves@fiu.edu
What options are available to employees who are required to return to campus, and schools are open, but they have elected to have their children taught online?
FIU’s repopulation plan is our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community, and it encourages flexibility. For staff who are in a situation where their child’s school is open but the staff member has decided to have his or her child taught remotely, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, would not be available in this case. HR will work with the manager and employee to find the best solution.
For more information, please contact Benefits Administration leave team at hrleaves@fiu.edu
What options are available to employees who are required to return to campus, and schools are open, but the school is unable to accommodate on-site teaching due to capacity issues?
FIU’s repopulation plan is our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community, and it encourages flexibility. For staff who are in a situation where their child’s school is open but the child is unable to attend due to capacity issues, every effort will be made to support remote work arrangements where feasible. In the situation where an employee’s role is deemed to be required on campus and the employee is unable to participate in a mandatory rotation, there are resources that may be available such as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provides for pay continuation (up to a point). HR will work with the manager and employee to find the best solution.
For more information, please contact Benefits Administration leave team at hrleaves@fiu.edu
What do I do if an employee lets me know that they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
Please call the FIU COVID-19 Response Team at 305-348-1919. Learn more on the Health & Safety page.
What is the criteria being used to assess whether a position is suitable for remote work?
Supervisors will take into account the nature of the business or work being performed, the employee’s role and what functions need to be performed on campus v. remotely. In addition, necessary accommodations will be taken into account as return-to-campus plans are developed for each area with the appropriate dean’s or vice president’s approval.
For more information, please contact the Division of Human Resources at hr@fiu.edu.
Will employees whose work can be done remotely be required to go back to campus if they are not comfortable doing so?
As part of the repopulation plan for each unit, supervisors will assess each employee’s role and determine what functions need to be performed on campus v. remotely. In instances where an accommodation is necessary, the employee will be provided with options that may be available to them.
For more information, please contact the Division of Human Resources at hr@fiu.edu.
Will the university accommodate staff in at-risk categories with respect to continuing to work remotely?
FIU is following the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to at-risk populations. The CDC lists characteristics of vulnerable and immunocompromised populations, which includes individuals over 65, who should take extra precautions from potential exposure.
We are asking managers to provide greater flexibility to those individuals who self-disclose that they may be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Employees who fall under these categories and have been successfully working remotely should be able to continue to do so. Employees who fall under these categories but are required to work physically on campus should work with their HR liaison, central HR and IDEA to determine if a flexible work arrangement or accommodation can be established. Should you have any additional questions, please contact the Division of Human Resources at hr@fiu.edu.
Can at-risk employees self-determine what parameters will allow them to return to work in person?
FIU is committed to the health and wellbeing of our community. At-risk employees should work with their managers to ensure they feel supported in returning to campus.
For more information, please contact the Division of Human Resources at hr@fiu.edu.
Is there anything employees need to do to continue working from home if they are part of a vulnerable population?
FIU is following the guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to at-risk populations. The CDC lists characteristics of vulnerable and immunocompromised populations, which includes individuals over 65, who should take extra precautions from potential exposure.
FIU is requesting that managers provide greater flexibility to those individuals who self-disclose that they may be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. If employees fall under one of these categories and have been successfully working remotely, they should be able to continue to do so. If employees fall under one of these categories but are required to work physically on campus, they should work with their HR Liaison, central HR and IDEA to determine if a flexible work arrangement or accommodation can be established.
For more information, please contact the Division of Human Resources at hr@fiu.edu.
Is FIU ensuring that employees who must work from home are not targeted or retaliated against in any way?
The university will not tolerate employees being treated unfavorably because of their work status. Should an employee feel he or she is being treated unfairly, Employee and Labor Relations and IDEA are available to discuss matters of retaliation.
For more information, please contact Employee and Labor Relations at elr@fiu.edu or IDEA at diversity@fiu.edu.

Health & Well Being

Will employees be given training to ensure that those returning to work are abiding by best practices?
There is a training program for all employees. Completion of the training is mandatory prior to returning to campus. The training is fully online and will be tracked on a dashboard. Additionally, webinars for supervisors have been created and communicated through HR News and Updates.
Course topics cover:
- Your role in the Panthers Protecting Panthers plan, with specifics
- COVID-19 symptoms and warning signs to watch for
- Actions each of us can take on campus to slow the spread
- What FIU is doing to support contact tracing/surveillance/testing for our community
- How to effectively communicate the guidelines
For more information, please contact Talent Acquisition and Management at tam@fiu.edu.
If a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, will he/she be required to quarantine for 2-3 weeks? Does that also mean that other staff members in the department need to stay home and quarantine for 2-3 weeks?
Employees who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for a period of time based on their specific situation. HR Leaves will work with employees to ensure they are following the necessary steps for their health and well being. HR will also conduct contact tracing on campus to identify any other employees who may have been exposed due to close contact, working with the HR Liaison in many cases. Information discovered during this process will determine if other employees need to self-quarantine off campus for a period of time. A new Contact Tracing Team at FIU will work with students and employees who either test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19. Contact FIU’s COVID-19 Response Team at 305-348-1919.
For more information, please contact Benefits Administration at benefits@fiu.edu.
For employees who may be stressed and anxious about returning to work, are there resources available to help them?
The emotional and social disruptions of COVID-19 are very real, and FIU is committed to fostering a healthy work environment. We are working with supervisors to help them support employees through these unprecedented times. There are a number of significant measures being taken by the university with the focus on shared responsibility by our entire FIU community.
Training will be available soon that will provide additional information on employee health and well being, FIU protocol around cleaning and disinfecting, tracking and tracing, and the behavior required from those on campus.
We encourage you to visit the the FIU COVID-19 website, the Office of Employee Assistance, COVID-19 Emergency Policy, and Division of Human Resources website. All of these sites contain information to support, inspire and encourage you and boost your confidence in returning to our FIU in a positive way.
For more information, please contact the Office of Employee Assistance at oea@fiu.edu.
How is the university going to ensure that people wear their face coverings properly?
The university has developed required COVID-19 training to return to work. Topics include guidance on face coverage usage, restroom occupation, use of elevators, in-person meeting etiquette and more.
For more information, please contact the Division of Human Resources at hr@fiu.edu.
If a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, is sick leave covered/paid?
It depends on each employee’s particular circumstance. For asymptomatic employees, continued remote work, if available, could be an option. For some employees who are unable to work, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides payments (up to a maximum amount) for certain circumstances related to COVID-19. Once employees have exhausted their FFCRA allocation and all their leave time, employees may be eligible to apply for the new FIU COVID-19 Emergency Leave Program that allows for additional sick hours for qualifying employees. This is available up to December 2020.
Should you have any additional questions, please contact Benefits Administration at benefits@fiu.edu.