Spring Semester Guidelines for Employees

As a UW–Madison employee who is working on-site, you are required to follow the workplace safety procedures outlined in the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy and the UW–Madison Reopening Public Health Protocols. Some employees may need to follow additional or more specific workplace safety procedures based on their duties, the work environment, and/or workplace needs. You are required to follow any procedures or expectations from your college, school, or division leadership as you return to the workplace.

In situations where you are working in facilities owned or controlled by another entity, these policies continue to apply to you as a UW−Madison employee. UW−Madison employees working in facilities controlled by other non-UW entities may be subject to additional workplace expectations. In the event that there is conflict between these policies and the expectations of another employer or facility, you should consult with your UW−Madison supervisor or the human resources contact at your school, college, or division immediately.

You should review and become familiar with the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy. As a UW–Madison employee, you are expected to:

• Stay home or leave the workplace immediately if you have symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19 and notify your supervisor of your absence.
• Report to the workplace only if directed to do so by your supervisor.
• Follow the most current workplace safety guidance, including regular COVID-19 testing, wearing a face covering, practicing physical distancing, and engaging in frequent hand washing and sanitizing.
• Complete the COVID-19 Training for On-Site Workers before returning to the workplace.
• Stay up to date regarding changes in workplace safety expectations, guidance, or procedures.

Updated February 5, 2021

Yes. You will be provided with training on the policies and procedures in the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy. Every UW-Madison employee is expected to successfully complete the COVID-19 Training for On-Site Workers, including employees who are returning to the workplace and those who are already performing work on-site. This training will support a safe and healthy working environment for you and your colleagues.

Your supervisor will help you understand the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy and how to follow it. For example, your supervisor can help you know when to leave the workplace if you are feeling sick and explain the guidelines for using sick leave and reporting time off. Your supervisor can also help you maintain a healthy workplace by providing information and guidance on health and safety protocols. If you have a concern related to a disability or medical condition, or that of a member of your household, you should contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR).

Employees who do not follow the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy or associated policies, protocols, or procedures may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures applicable to their employee category.

In general, face coverings are a requirement at the workplace, and you are required to follow this and other health and safety protocols and procedures. Please see the COVID-19 Workplace Safety Policy for details. If you are hesitant about wearing a face covering, please speak with your supervisor or the human resources contact at your school, college, or division.

Beginning in Spring 2021, you must test negative for COVID-19 within the past 8 days (192 hours) prior to coming to the main UW–Madison campus. UW–Madison employees working at locations other than the main campus are not subject to the testing requirement unless they come to the main campus or their employing unit chooses to implement the testing requirement. Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/spring-semester-2021-overview.

You will need to verify their building access status before being allowed to enter campus buildings. The Safer Badgers app is the easiest and most reliable way to do this. To gain access to campus buildings you must meet all of the following criteria:

• You have a negative COVID-19 test on file in the timeframe specified for your community population (e.g., undergraduate student, graduate and professional student, faculty/ staff member)
• You have not had a positive test on file within the last 10 days
• You are not required to be in isolation or quarantine
• You have not self-reported symptoms of COVID-19

Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/building-access.

Each unit is responsible for the regular cleaning and disinfection of offices, laboratories, conference rooms, workstations, and other unit-specific spaces. Each unit is also responsible for the removal of trash and recycling from unit-specific spaces.

Custodians will continue with routine cleaning, as well as additional cleaning of high-touch areas in common areas, including restrooms. Custodians will also continue to remove trash and recycling from common areas, bathrooms, breakrooms, and kitchenettes.

Additional information will be provided by your building manager, supervisor, or divisional human resources office. Additional information can also be found on the Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) website.

Yes. All faculty, staff, and volunteers are expected to keep their workspaces clean. Employees should use disinfectant spray and/or cleaning wipes on hard surfaces in their work areas as necessary and appropriate. Cleaning supplies will be provided.

Some work areas require specialized cleaning and disinfecting protocols, and different procedures may apply.

Cleaning and disinfecting instructions will be provided in the COVID-19 Training for On-Site Workers that each employee will participate in before they return to the workplace. If you have any concerns about cleaning or disinfecting in your work area, please speak with your supervisor or divisional human resources office. Additional information can also be found on the Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) website.

Units with campus vehicles are responsible for the regular cleaning and disinfection of their own vehicles. Campus buses are cleaned and disinfected by Madison Metro. Additional guidance regarding use of campus vehicles can be found on the Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M) website.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must:

• Stay away from the workplace until
  • You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication),
  • Your other symptoms are improving, and
  • It has been at least 10 days since your positive test; or
  • If you had no symptoms, you may return 10 days after you were tested
• Notify your supervisor that you are unable to report to work. If you need to share any specific medical or health information, contact your Divisional Disability Representative.
• Consult with your supervisor and/or the human resources department in your school, college or division about your leave or remote work options.

If you are tested at an on-campus testing site, your test results will automatically be reported to University Health Services (UHS). If you were tested elsewhere — such as Alliant Energy Center, UW Health, an urgent care center or a doctor outside of University Health Services — you should report positive test results to UHS via the Safer Badgers app. For specific instructions, see the next FAQ or go to uhs.wisc.edu/medical/testing/#test-results.

You are also strongly encouraged to consult your healthcare provider for medical advice and guidance about care and isolation information.

Updated February 22, 2021

University Health Services (UHS) will be the repository for all COVID-19 test results for employees working on campus, at campus facilities, and for all students. Test results for individuals who are tested at an on-campus testing site will automatically be reported to UHS.

People tested elsewhere — such as Alliant Energy Center, UW Health, an urgent care center or a doctor outside of University Health Services — should report positive test results to UHS via the Safer Badgers app. Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/faq/if-i-get-tested-off-campus-can-i-use-my-results-on-campus.

Updated February 5, 2021

UW–Madison is committed to a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

Reporting your positive test results promptly to University Health Services (UHS) will help ensure that UW–Madison can take appropriate steps as soon as possible to clean facilities and workspaces, begin contact tracing efforts, and work with you to provide information on remote work and/or leave options.

All entities conducting COVID-19 testing are required to report positive test results to the public health authority in their county. So, even if you decline to provide consent for UHS to test you and use your information, if you are tested elsewhere UW–Madison may eventually receive a report of your positive test from a public health authority. If you report your positive test result directly to UHS, the university can act quickly to protect others with whom you have come into contact.

University Health Services (UHS) will notify your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) of your positive test result. UHS staff and DDRs are trained and trusted to handle confidential medical information appropriately.

Your DDR will reach out to you to provide resources and let you know that you need to stay away from the workplace. You will receive specific instructions in an email. Your medical information will be kept confidential and separate from your personnel file as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The DDR will notify your direct supervisor that you have tested positive and assist and support the supervisor with issues related to your leave from the workplace and contact tracing efforts (if requested by University Health Services and/or Public Health Madison & Dane County). The DDR will also notify those with responsibility for oversight of your work location—the dean, director, chair, center director, or someone else at your school, college, or division—that a person in a particular work unit or operational area has tested positive, but your name will not be shared unless one of these individuals is also your direct supervisor or there is a clear business need.

Your Divisional Disability Representative will contact your supervisor to share your positive test result and to explain you will be absent from work and for approximately how long. (You should also notify your supervisor that you are unable to report to work.) The DDR will work with your supervisor to discuss the nature of your work and what temporary work adjustments might be available for you, if it is determined that you are eligible to work remotely while at home and if you feel well enough to do so. The DDR will also notify your supervisor that they may be contacted by a contact tracer for further information or instructions.

Work unit colleagues (including student employees) who may have been in close contact or exposed to you, as determined by University Health Services or Public Health Madison & Dane County and in consultation with the Divisional Disability Representative, will be made aware that an individual in their work location has tested positive for COVID-19. However, your work unit colleagues will not receive your identifying information unless there is a specific need for them to receive that information.

The privacy of medical information is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the Federal Rights and Education Privacy Act (FERPA), Wisconsin’s state laws about medical records privacy, and the confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All of these rules and regulations allow for the sharing of your medical information in this situation, in order to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Even if your medical condition doesn’t meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of a disability, the ADA applies to all employees—with or without disabilities—and prevents employers from making medical inquiries or requiring medical examinations unless there is a business necessity, such as keeping everyone in the workplace safe. The ADA requires employers to treat any medical information obtained as a confidential medical record.

You are free to share your medical information with whomever you choose, even though there are legal restrictions on UW–Madison about how and with whom the university shares the information.

Generally, no, your supervisor cannot ask you if you have COVID-19. However, some units are required to ask about COVID-19 to comply with safety requirements due to work performed by employees in the unit.

In some circumstances, a Divisional Disability Representative (DDR), UHS representatives and/or public health agency representatives who are engaged in or supporting contact tracing efforts may ask you  if you have or have had COVID-19.

Yes. In some circumstances, a Divisional Disability Representative (DDR), UHS representatives and/or public health agency representatives who are engaged in or supporting contact tracing efforts may ask you if you have or have had COVID-19.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison provides a variety of potential leave options to employees when they are unable to work or telework (work remotely) for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, or University Staff, the leave options an employee may qualify for are based on a number of factors, including the eligibility requirements for each program, their employment category, the pay basis for their appointment, the reason they are unable to work and are requesting leave, prior leave they have used or taken, and staffing needs of the operational unit. Some leave options require approval from the work unit or supervisor.

The reason for leave may require the available leave programs to be applied in a specific order or may allow for a combination of leave programs to apply at the same time.

The human resources department in your school, college, or division can help you determine which leave options you qualify for. Please refer to “What are Your Leave Options for Leave Related to COVID-19?” for an overview of leave options for Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, and University Staff.

You will be notified if an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 was present in the workplace, or if you may have been exposed to COVID-19, but generally you will not receive any identifying information about the employee. The amount of information that is shared with you during the COVID-19 pandemic depends on the circumstances of each case and the direction from the public health experts.

University Health Services (UHS) or Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) will be consulted in these situations. Follow any instructions that are provided by your supervisor, your divisional human resources office, Divisional Disability Representative (DDR), or UHS. You may be asked to leave the workplace and contact your health care provider for additional guidance. You may also be asked by a contact tracer to self-quarantine and monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. If you develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 while you are in quarantine, you will need to go into isolation.

• Stay away from the workplace.
• Notify your supervisor you are not reporting to work because you were exposed to or in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
• Contact the human resources department in your school, college or division with questions about leave or other options if you need to quarantine.
• Contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) with any questions about protected medical leave.
• Consult with your DDR before returning to the workplace.

If you develop symptoms, follow all appropriate procedures, including testing for COVID-19. We also strongly encourage you to seek medical advice and guidance from your personal healthcare provider about care, testing, and quarantine information. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you should quarantine yourself immediately. Additional information is available at uhs.wisc.edu/medical/covid19-isolation-quarantine/#off-campus-students-staff.

Updated February 22, 2021

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea. You can learn more facts about COVID-19 on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

All members of the UW-Madison community are expected to monitor themselves daily for symptoms of COVID-19. An online COVID-19 Health Screen has been developed by University Health Services to make symptom self-monitoring easier. UW–Madison is not collecting or storing any personal information entered into the Symptom Tracker. The tracker asks a few simple questions and provides recommendations for next steps based on the user’s responses.

The Safer Badgers app has a Symptom Check-in feature. The feature lets you self-report symptoms and maintain a log of symptoms you are experiencing. Self-reporting is optional.

If you are experiencing symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19, you must:

• Leave the workplace and notify your supervisor that you are unable to report to work. If you need to share any specific medical or health information, contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR).
• Consult with the human resources department in your school, college or division about your leave or remote work options.

You are also strongly encouraged to test immediately and consult your healthcare provider for medical advice and guidance about care and isolation information.

Updated February 5, 2021

Yes. If you are sick or appear to be sick, you will be asked to leave the workplace by your supervisor, a human resources representative, or a Divisional Disability Representatives (DDR).

Yes, you may be asked about the symptoms you are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on your symptoms that you share with your supervisor will be kept confidential, except as necessary to communicate with a Human Resources (HR) representative or your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR).

University Health Services (UHS) is offering no-cost COVID-19 testing to students, faculty, and staff on campus. Information about campus testing sites is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/testing.

Beginning in Spring 2021, you must test negative for COVID-19 within the past 8 days (192 hours) prior to coming to the main UW−Madison campus. UW−Madison employees working at locations other than the main campus are not subject to the testing requirement unless they come to the main campus or their employing unit chooses to implement the testing requirement. Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/spring-semester-2021-overview.

You can also contact your healthcare provider or Public Health Madison & Dane County to learn about testing options.

Updated February 5, 2021

Yes. Additional information about UW−Madison’s Spring Semester 2021 testing measures is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/spring-semester-2021-overview.

Updated February 5, 2021

If you test positive for COVID-19, you may return to on-site work when the following conditions have been met:

• You have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication),
• Your other symptoms are improving, and
• It has been at least 10 days since your positive test

If you did not have any COVID-19 symptoms, you may return to on-site work 10 days after you were tested. Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/faq/when-can-i-return-to-on-site-work-after-a-positive-test.

Updated February 22, 2021

Most employees will be able to return to work within 11-14 days of exposure. You may return to work provided:

• You do not test positive or develop symptoms of COVID-19
• You have obtained a negative test result on day 10 or later of quarantine and your Badger Badge indicates “building access granted.”

Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/faq/when-can-i-return-to-on-site-work-after-quarantine-exposure.

Updated February 22, 2021

You should not be on campus with symptoms of COVID-19 except to get a COVID-19 test.

If you test negative for COVID-19, you may follow standard illness protocols for returning to work. Example: The employee may return if they have been fever-free for 24-hours without fever reducing medication; if it has been two days since their last episode of vomiting or diarrhea; if they have been on antibiotic for at least 24 hours if prescribed; or as approved to work by a doctor.

Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/faq/when-can-i-return-to-on-site-work-after-covid-19-symptoms-but-negative-test.

Updated February 22, 2021

In most cases, you will not be required to provide a clearance letter to return to on-site work as long as you have followed the advice and guidance of your healthcare provider or public health agency representative and you can share that information with your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR).

Every employee concern will be individually evaluated. Some possible reasons you may be concerned include age, your underlying medical condition, pregnancy or breastfeeding, caring for a child, caring for a family member who is in a CDC high-risk population, or feeling unsafe in the workplace.

If you have concerns or questions about returning to on-site work, you are encouraged to first discuss these with their supervisor or manager. If the concern is related to a disability or medical condition, or that of a member of your household, you should contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) directly. You may also contact the human resources department at your school, college, or division to discuss questions and concerns.

Please see the quick reference guide on Accommodations & Workplace Flexibilities: Employee Guidance for more information.

You may qualify for a reasonable accommodation. Every employee concern will be individually evaluated based on duties, the work environment, and workplace needs.

Your divisional HR contact or supervisor will provide you with contact information for your area’s Divisional Disability Representative (DDR). You may also contact your DDR directly. To find your DDR, visit employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/divisional-disability-representatives-ddr.

Please see the quick reference guide on Accommodations & Workplace Flexibilities: Employee Guidance for more information.

If you have concerns or questions about returning to on-site work that are not medically related or disability related, you are encouraged to first discuss these concerns or questions with your supervisor or manager. You may also contact the human resources department at your school, college, or division to discuss questions and concerns.

The university will work with you to address your concerns and provide solutions based on your duties, work environment, and workplace needs. Please see the quick reference guide on Accommodations & Workplace Flexibilities: Employee Guidance for more information on this process and workplace flexibilities that may apply in this situation.

You may contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) for concerns or questions related to a disability or underlying medical condition. For concerns or questions unrelated to a disability or medical condition, you may contact the human resources department at your school, college, or division to discuss questions and concerns. Additional information is available at covidresponse.wisc.edu/faq/can-i-apply-for-an-accommodation-to-be-excused-from-the-testing-requirement.

Yes. Employees have access to the Employee Disabilities Resources (EDR) Office. This office serves as the centralized information source for workplace accommodations at UW–Madison.

The EDR Office partners with Divisional Disability Representatives (DDRs), experienced and trained human resources professionals who specialize in dealing with medically related and disability related issues and medical leave.

DDRs receive accommodation requests from employees and assist managers, supervisors, and employees in responding to disability matters in a way that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and considers individual situations.

Only DDRs are authorized to request, receive, and maintain medical information and records on behalf of their divisions. Information shared with your DDR is kept confidential. You are not required to disclose the medical need for an accommodation to your immediate supervisor.

You can learn more about employee disability resources at employeedisabilities.wisc.edu.

Reasonable accommodation is any change or modification to the hiring process, a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables a qualified individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform the duties of a job, and enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to those without disabilities, without causing significant difficulty or disruption in the workplace or posing a health or safety threat. Reasonable accommodation falls under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and requires a good faith effort on the part of both the employer and the employee. More information on this can be found at employeedisabilities.wisc.edu.

A workplace flexibility is a modification that may be provided to employees who do not have a medically related or disability related reason for requesting a modification in their duties or work environment. Feeling unsafe in the workplace due to COVID-19, when there is no associated medically related or disability related reason, would be an example. Modifications made for non-medical reasons are not subject to the provisions of the ADA.

Examples of modifications that may be used as either a reasonable accommodation or a workplace flexibility include telecommuting (allowing the employee to work remotely), moving or altering workspaces, modifying work schedules, reassigning duties, and using leave. In all cases, modifications are considered on an individual, case-by-case basis.

The university has a website dedicated to employee disability resources at employeedisabilities.wisc.edu.

To learn more about UW–Madison’s response to employee concerns about returning to on-site work due to COVID-19, see the quick reference guide on Accommodations & Workplace Flexibilities: Employee Guidance.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison provides a variety of potential leave options to employees when they are unable to work or telework (work remotely) for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, or University Staff, the leave options an employee may qualify for are based on a number of factors, including the eligibility requirements for each program, their employment category, the pay basis for their appointment, the reason they are unable to work and are requesting leave, prior leave they have used or taken, and staffing needs of the operational unit. Some leave options require approval from the work unit or supervisor.

The reason for leave may require the available leave programs to be applied in a specific order or may allow for a combination of leave programs to apply at the same time.

Please refer to “What are Your Leave Options for Leave Related to COVID-19?” for an overview of leave options for Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, and University Staff.

An employee may be unable to work because they need to provide care to their child(ren), and their school/summer program/daycare center is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19. Or, they may be unable to work because their child(ren) has cold symptoms or other symptoms of illness and are not permitted to attend their school/childcare center until symptom-free for the required period of time.

The leave options an employee may qualify for in either of these situations are based on a number of factors, including the eligibility requirements for each program, their employment category, the pay basis for their appointment, the reason they are unable to work and are requesting leave, prior leave they have used or taken, and staffing needs of the operational unit. Some leave options require approval from the work unit or supervisor.

Please refer to “What are Your Leave Options for Leave Related to COVID-19?” for an overview of leave options for Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, and University Staff.