{"id":2437,"date":"2020-04-01T13:59:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T17:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/news\/?p=2437"},"modified":"2022-03-08T16:00:14","modified_gmt":"2022-03-08T21:00:14","slug":"employee-update-4-1-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virginiawestern.edu\/news\/2020\/04\/01\/employee-update-4-1-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee update 4\/1\/20"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Colleagues, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nyou know, the public health crisis we are currently facing is unlike anything\nwe’ve seen in recent history. Our state and federal governments are working to\napproach this crisis from many directions, one of which is how to help mitigate\nthe potential negative impact on our workforce. As policies are developed and\nrefined, we are working diligently to understand the impact to our college\ncommunity, and how it may help as unexpected or challenging situations arise.\nWith this communication, I want to provide summary thoughts on the core\npolicies that are in place today, as well as some additional resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public\nHealth Emergency Leave (PHEL)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\none of my first communications to you, I provided a copy of the state’s Public\nHealth Emergency Leave (PHEL) policy, and asked you to familiarize yourself\nwith it. Essentially, this policy is designed\nto provide paid leave to full-time and wage employees when work hours are\nreduced or eliminated as a direct result of COVID-19. PHEL eligibility is based on\nregularly scheduled work hours. Effective last week, eligibility for full-time\nemployees was increased from 80 hours to 160 hours, or the equivalent of 4\nstandard work weeks. For part-time employees, the proration also increased to\nthe equivalent of four work weeks, with the amount based on an individual’s\nregularly scheduled work hours. For example, an employee regularly scheduled\nfor 20 hours per week is eligible for up to 80 hours of PHEL; an employee\nregularly scheduled for 29 hours is eligible for up to 116 hours. Please talk\nwith your supervisor if you believe that you may be eligible for PHEL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Families\nFirst Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FFCRA\nis federal legislation that goes into effect nationwide today, April 1, 2020.\nWhile the typical requirement is to post these notices in our physical\nlocations, I am instead attaching a copy of the poster to this email, as the\nmajority of our campus community is now working remotely. This legislation has\ntwo main leave components: sick leave and expanded family\/medical leave. As a\nstate agency, we continue to await guidance from the Department of Human\nResources regarding how this policy will be enacted across the state.\nAdditional communications with details about how this pertains to us will be\nshared as soon as they are available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional\nResources<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nthe policies noted above help to provide some financial peace of mind, it is\nnormal to feel a heightened level of stress and anxiety in the midst of all of\nthese changes. There are many resources available to help. Here are a few to\nget you started: <\/p>\n\n\n\n