April 6, 2020
New leave options available to help those in need
Faculty and staff in need of additional leave time to care for their children or because they are unable to work on campus or telework will have new options to support them beginning this week. Starting today, faculty and staff may donate either sick or vacation leave to an emergency leave pool to support employees who have run out of leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And beginning tomorrow, eligible employees who need to take leave to care for children are entitled to additional leave benefits under the Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA).
UF COVID-19 Leave Donation Plan
Over the past several weeks, many faculty and staff who are still able to work have asked how they can help employees who may not have the ability to continue to do so. Under UF’s new COVID-19 Leave Donation Plan, you can now donate personally accrued leave (vacation or sick) into a UF-sponsored leave pool to support eligible employees who have been adversely affected by this emergency and have exhausted all of their personally accrued leave. Donations may be entered into myUFL this week, April 6-10. Eligible employees who need to request additional leave may do so by submitting an application.
Learn more >>
If you are not able to donate leave but would still like to help, you can also donate funds to support faculty and staff suffering hardship via Aid-a-Gator.
Emergency Family Medical Leave Expansion Act
If you need to take time off to care for children and have not exhausted your annual FMLA entitlement, you may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of protected leave that can be used either on a continuous or intermittent basis. During the final 10 weeks of the leave, eligible employees may receive up to 2/3 of their daily pay, up to a maximum of $200/day.
Learn more>>
Please visit the Working through COVID-19 section of the UFHR website to find more guidance on taking leave, remote working and more. If you have questions, please email us at humanresources@ad.ufl.edu.
Remote teaching and work support
Did you know? You can “Ask a Librarian” for…
- Help finding e-books
- Resources for online classes
- Research assistance
All from your home. Chat with a librarian today at https://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/ask
Updated services and hours
UF Counseling & Wellness Center
The Counseling & Wellness Center (CWC) will begin offering TeleMental Health counseling services for students beginning April 8. If you know a student who needs help, please have them call the CWC at (352) 392-1575 to schedule a brief consultation appointment and discuss eligibility for this service beginning April 6. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to visit the CWC website to obtain additional information on available virtual resources.
The CWC will be providing two Zoom presentations of a special session, Coping with Chaos: Managing Anxiety During Times of Crisis, on April 8 and 15 from 1-2 p.m. This presentation is open to faculty and staff as well, and you may register here.
Spotlight
A local hero — and a reminder to buy local
Last week, Dr. Lauren Diepenbrock and her UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center team rushed to get 600 Valencia trees planted in one day before further restrictions were put in place — all in an effort to help our Florida growers.
You can help our Florida growers, too, by buying local when you can by looking for the Fresh from Florida labeling in your supermarket.
UF/IFAS is continuing to diagnose plant diseases, test soil samples, train agricultural workers, supply weather forecasts and teach the future food workforce. Learn more in this update from Dr. Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.
Gratitude Spreads
Do you have a colleague or know of someone who has made a difference during this challenging time whom you would like to thank?
UFHR Wellness has created print and email versions of “Gratitude spreads” cards for UF and UF Health faculty and staff to share. Along with an encouraging design, there is space to write a dedication and personal messages on both printed cards and digital email templates. This is the perfect opportunity to thank others for their great work.
Gratitude Spreads, so be sure to pass it on!
The UF-UF Health Spring Walking Challenge kicks off today. Compete virtually alongside your team members. Learn more and sign up through this week.