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Return to Work Plan - Phased Approach

Please note: as conditions with the pandemic change, these guidelines will be adjusted in accordance with recommendations from the CDC, local health, and government officials.

The well-being and safety of our students, faculty, and staff remain our top priority. We will use a phased approach to returning our employees to campus. As we begin to return our faculty and staff to campus, we will continue to follow the guidance set forth by the CDC and comply with federal, state, and local public-health authority directives. Based on the health data available to us, we will determine which phase of return to work is appropriate based on the current conditions.

Department managers will have the flexibility to determine which work arrangements are most effective for their areas; however, these efforts will be coordinated by building in order to mitigate risks for employees, students, and visitors. The HR and Facilities Operations departments will be facilitating building meetings in June in hopes of beginning to implement a phased return to work approach in July. Requests for modifications to offices, including Plexiglas guards and temporary relocation or reconfiguration of office spaces, will be discussed during the building meetings. Each department should have at least one representative present during these meetings.

Phased Staffing

Phase 1: Effective Date: 7/15/2020

  • Remote work continues for those who are able to fulfill their responsibilities without compromise to students, productivity, and effectiveness. The intent in Phase 1 is to limit the number of people on campus(es) in order to lower the potential spread of COVID-19.
  • Departments should prioritize positions that are most effective working in the office to return using the following guidelines:
    • In the process of planning which employees will return to campus, please consider the following options:
      • requests for accommodations for employees with “high risk” of severe illness from COVID-19 exposure (as described by public health authorities to include people aged 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions that include asthma, chronic kidney disease being treated with dialysis, chronic lung disease, diabetes, hemoglobin disorders, immunocompromised, liver disease, serious heart conditions, severe obesity. If a manager receives a request for accommodations, contact HR to coordinate.
      • any employee unable to wear a face-covering for medical reasons should contact HR to coordinate arrangements.
      • asking for volunteers who want to return to campus to work
      • staggering staff to work alternating at home and in the office.
      • a portion of the staff continue to work remotely all of the time and others work in the office all of the time.
      • altering work hours/staggering start and stop times.
      • temporarily moving staff to another office location to ensure social distancing.
      • temporary reconfiguration of office spaces.
      • requests for alternate work schedules to help employees balance the demands of work/life.

Phase 2: Effective Date: 8/3/2020

  • Remote work continues for those who are able to fulfill their responsibilities without compromise to students, productivity and effectiveness. The intent of Phase 2 is to return additional staff to campus in order to best serve the Doane Community.
  • Departments should prioritize positions that are most effective working in the office to return using the following guidelines:
    • In the process of planning which employees will return to campus, please consider the following options:
      • requests for accommodations for “high-risk” employees, as defined above. If a manager receives a request for accommodations, contact HR to coordinate.
      • any employee unable to wear a face covering for medical reasons should contact HR to coordinate arrangements.
      • asking for volunteers who want to return to campus to work
      • staggering staff to work alternating at home and in the office.
      • a portion of the staff continue to work remotely all of the time and others work in the office all of the time.
      • altering work hours/staggering start and stop times.
      • temporarily moving staff to another office location to ensure social distancing.
      • temporary reconfiguration of office spaces.
      • requests for alternate work schedules to help employees balance the demands of work/life.

Phase 3: Effective Date: TBD

  • Most employees are back to working on campus, with some exceptions.
    • Consider requests for accommodations for “high-risk” employees, as defined above. If a manager receives a request for accommodations, contact HR to coordinate.
    • Consider temporary reconfiguration or relocation of office spaces.
    • Consider requests for alternate work schedules to help employees balance the demands of work/life.