HR COVID Information
Employees experiencing COVID-like symptoms should contact their healthcare provider for diagnosis, testing and/or treatment. If an employee is advised to quarantine or isolate due to possible COVID-19 exposure, tests positive for COVID-19, or believes they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, they should contact Human Resources by phone (610-683-1353) or email (humanresources@kutztown.edu).
Employees are to follow CDC guidance for the general public for quarantine and isolation. Notably, employees who test positive for COVID-19 should stay home for days 1-5 and isolate from others. Employees can end isolation after day five if they are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and their symptoms have improved. Employees should then wear a well-fitted mask for days 6-10 any time they are around others.
- Reminder for those with symptoms: Day 0 is your first day of symptoms. Day 1 is the first full day after your symptoms developed.
- Reminder for those with no symptoms: Day 0 is your day of a positive viral test. Day 1 is the first full day after your test specimen was collected.
If an employee's symptoms have not improved, they were severely ill or they are immunocompromised, employees should isolate for the full 10 days.
Within 24 hours of testing positive, employees should contact Human Resources by phone (610-683-1353) or email (humanresources@kutztown.edu) to confirm isolation time and remote work status. Remote work is permissible for employees who test positive for COVID-19, up to day 10 of isolation, based on operational need, capability of employee to perform duties from home and with supervisor approval (more details below).
Fully vaccinated people who have come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should be tested at least 5 days following the date of their exposure, and wear a mask indoors in public for 10 days or until they receive a negative test result. Employees should isolate for days 1-5 if they test positive.
Fully vaccinated people should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 10 days following an exposure.
If you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 and you are in one of the following groups, you do not need to quarantine.
- You are ages 18 or older and are fully vaccinated.
- You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days.
Unvaccinated persons who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 must quarantine at home for 10 days (the date of your exposure is considered day 0. Day 1 is the first full day after your last contact with a person who has had COVID-19). Employees should contact their healthcare provider for diagnosis, testing and/or treatment, followed by Human Resources by phone (610-683-1353) or email (humanresources@kutztown.edu).
Remote Work for Employees who Test Positive for COVID-19
Employees who test positive for COVID-19 may request, if able, to work remotely for the length of their isolation – up to 10 days.
Staff employees must first inform Human Resources within 24 hours of testing positive for COVID-19 by phone (610-683-1353) or email (humanresources@kutztown.edu). Staff should then notify their supervisor of their absence, along with their request to work remotely during their isolation. Requests will be granted by the supervisor, based on operational need and capability of employee to perform duties from home.
Faculty who choose to teach remotely while in isolation must teach their classes synchronously, through Zoom, at the originally scheduled class time. Office hours should continue to be held at the originally scheduled times. Faculty must inform Human Resources within 24 hours of testing positive for COVID-19 by phone (610-683-1353) or email (humanresources@kutztown.edu), as well as their department chair and dean.
This only applies to employees who test positive for COVID-19. Remote work is not approved for those on quarantine (close contacts), for child/family care, or for non-COVID-related sick leave. Employees in these circumstances, or employees who test positive but choose not to work remotely, or are unable to work remotely, will be expected to use appropriate leave time.