Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Paid Leave Program

The Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Paid Leave Program (“Program”) is designed to provide temporary additional paid leave available for use by regular full-time staff and regular part-time benefits eligible staff employees to be used in the case of quarantine, isolation or family care needs related to COVID-19 exposure, illness or other related scenarios.  

This leave is a temporary one-time bank of paid leave to be used during the ongoing pandemic. It is in addition to sick and vacation leave. Any unused temporary emergency COVID-19 paid leave will not accrue and is not owed as a wage upon termination.  This program is effective until further notice and is subject to change at the sole discretion of the university.  

Eligible Employees Who Meet Program Requirements:

• Regular full-time staff employees are eligible to use up to 80 hours of Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Paid Leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay, and  
• Benefits eligible regular part-time staff are eligible to use up to a pro-rated amount of the 80 hours of Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Paid Leave, based upon such employee’s full-time-equivalent status*, as recorded in the employee’s assignment.

Program Requirements:

• Must not be able to perform remote work, and reasons for use include:
  • Must be primarily responsible for the family care needs related to COVID-19 school closures, or
  • Has, or is caring for a family member who has, a COVID-19 exposure or illness requiring quarantine or isolation, or
  • An employee is unable to work all of the hours in a work day due to reduced schedule as a result of staggering shifts put in place to maintain social distancing.
  • Other reasonably related COVID-19 circumstances (as determined in Tulane’s discretion).

Staff members must submit a request for Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Paid Leave to their immediate Supervisor.  Supervisors must notify the timekeeper of the date the employee began temporary emergency COVID-19 leave.  The timekeeper will enter the time in Kronos as COVID-19PL.  

Once the balance of Temporary Emergency COVID-19 Paid Leave is exhausted, sick or vacation time, as applicable, can be used.  

* Full time equivalent (“FTE”) means the equivalent to one employee working full-time (i.e., comparable to an hourly employee working their full 37.5 or 40 hours work week, depending on the assigned work schedule.)  For example, an hourly employee regularly scheduled and works a full 37.5-hour week has an “FTE” of 100%.  Conversely, an hourly employee regularly scheduled and works a full 40-hour week has an “FTE” of 100%.  

Tulane reserves the right to modify this policy in whole or in part, at any time, in its sole discretion.

Frequently asked questions are found at the Coronavirus HR Resources page.