Employment Information

Last Updated March 4, 2022

• Physical Health
  • Faculty and staff members with concerns about returning to campus due to a medical concern should contact Human Resources to address the issue.
• Mental Health
  • Faculty and staff experiencing difficulties adjusting to the university community’s return to campus may ask their supervisor to approve special flexible work arrangements during a transition period to end prior to the start of 2021-2022 academic year. Also, the following mental health services are available to those seeking support:
    • Blue Cross is providing updated information to its health care plan members regarding a wide array of COVID-19 related information and services online.
    • Priority Health is offering its health care plan members a wide array of COVID-19 related information and services online.
    • Benefits-eligible OU employees, their spouses or domestic partners, their dependent children and their parents or parents-in-law can take advantage of the Unum Employee Assistance Program, which provides access to licensed professional counselors and work/life specialists, web access to a broad array of informative and support resources, and 24/7 phone support services. Employees interested in learning more should visit unum.com/lifebalance or call (800) 854-1446.
    • The OU Counseling Center also provides support services to campus community members.
  • Students experiencing difficulties adjusting to the university community’s return to campus can learn more about support services on the Student Engagement and Support web section. 
  • Campus community members are not required to disclose the fact that they are seeking mental health services.
• Child/Elder Care
  • Faculty and staff experiencing difficulties making arrangements for child and/or elder care may ask their supervisor to approve special flexible work arrangements during a transition period to end prior to the start of 2021-2022 academic year.
  • Faculty and staff can take advantage of any unused EPSL and EFML time. After September 30, 2021 and in situations where EPSL and EFML time are not available, personal and vacation time can be used. Those with questions regarding leave time should contact Human Resources.
• Return to campus guidelines compliance
  • Students are expected to comply with all of the university’s COVID-19 guidelines, as well all university policies and expectations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. As always, student disciplinary issues will be referred to the Dean of Students Office.
  • Classroom instructors are advised to manage all student discipline issues in the same ways they were addressed prior to the pandemic.
  • Faculty and staff are advised that the university has pledged to provide clean, healthy and safe work environments, and invested considerable time, effort and resources toward this end. While some employees may be uncomfortable returning to campus, all are expected to do so in order to perform their job duties. Refusal to do so may subject employees to discipline. Individuals with concerns about returning due to a medical concern should contact Human Resources to address the issue.

Rotating work schedules – Supervisors will have authority to establish rotating work schedules for their reports as part of efforts to address any infection prevention measure needs within the workspaces they manage.

Workspace modifications – Workspace managers will have authority to modify arrangements in order to address any necessary infection prevention measures. Workspaces will remain the same as they were prior to the pandemic unless modifications are necessary.

Meeting guidelines/resources – Meetings can be held in-person, virtually or in a hybrid format. Meeting plans should incorporate options for unvaccinated individuals to practice established infection prevention protocols.

Door closing allowances/restrictions – Workspace managers have authority to set guidelines . There is no university-wide restriction in place.