COVID-19 Prevention: UB Workplace

All UB faculty, staff and volunteer faculty/staff who come to a UB or UBMD campus must omplete the Daily Health Check. If you are unable to use the text-based or web-based Daily Health Check, please complete the accessible form below every day you are on campus.

NOTE: All Visitors (e.g., invited guests, vendors) who are otherwise not affiliated with the university are required to complete the Daily Health Check prior to their arrival on campus. An accessible form for visitors is available here.

Please note that UB students, faculty and staff who are not required to complete the Daily Health Check are strongly encouraged to do so out of concern for their personal health and the health of the entire community.

For complete information on the required Daily Health Check, visit UB’s main COVID-19 page.

UB recommends or requires quarantine in specific circumstances, as described below:

To reduce the risk of virus transmission, and in accordance with SUNY guidelines, a precautionary seven-day quarantine at their own residence is highly recommended for all UB students, faculty and staff who return to or come to campus in August (or thereafter) to start the academic year.

During these seven days, all members of the campus community are asked to exercise extra caution in protecting yourself from COVID-19 infection, especially by:

• Avoiding travel
• Avoiding large gatherings
• Limiting public exposure

Upon return to campus, it is important and necessary that all individuals adhere to all UB health guidelines, which include the use of a face covering at all times, appropriate physical distancing and frequent handwashing.

The university’s guidelines will continue to be updated as needed in accordance with new recommendations from the state and CDC, and as new scientific findings emerge. Updates will be posted on the Health and Safety Guidelines webpage.

In accordance with New York State guidelines, students, faculty, staff and visitors arriving in New York State from designated states that have significant community spread of COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for 14 days before coming to campus. This requirement does not apply to any individual passing through designated states for a limited duration (i.e., less than 24 hours) through the course of travel.

Employees who travel to such states are ineligible for paid sick leave benefits if the travel was not directed by UB.

1. If an employee commenced travel on or before June 25, 2020:

• Employee may telecommute, if applicable, for the duration of the quarantine
• If the employee cannot telecommute, the employee shall be covered by quarantine leave, if applicable. 
• If no quarantine leave is available, the employee shall charge appropriate leave accruals.

2. If an employee commenced travel after June 25, 2020, regardless of return date:

• Employee may telecommute, if applicable, for the duration of the quarantine.
• If the employee cannot telecommute, the employee shall not be permitted access to quarantine leave, if applicable but may charge appropriate leave accruals.

These rules apply to employee travel to states listed on the New York State Department of Health (DOH) site: 

• If a state is added to the list after an employee commences travel, the provisions of paragraph 1 above shall apply. 
• If a state is added to the list on or before the date the employee commences travel, the provisions of paragraph 2 above shall apply.

Before traveling out of state, all employees should consult the DOH website to confirm whether they are traveling to a state that requires quarantine upon return to New York. 

These provisions do not apply if an employee travels to a designated state as part of the employee’s employment or at the direction of the employee’s agency:

• If UB orders an employee to travel to a designated state for work, the employee may telecommute for the duration of the quarantine. 
• If the employee cannot telecommute, the employee shall be placed on quarantine leave at full pay without charge to accruals.  

UB employees returning from a designated state who cannot telecommute and are deemed essential and critical for the operation or safety of the workplace, upon a documented determination by their supervisor and a human resources (HR) representative in consultation with appropriate state and local health authorities, the exposed, asymptomatic employee may return to work so long as the employee adheres to the following practices prior to and during their work shift, which should be monitored and documented by the employer and employee: 

1. Regular monitoring: The employee must self-monitor for a temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit every 12 hours and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 under the supervision of their employer’s occupational health program.
2. Wear a mask: The employee must wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure.
3. Social distance: The employee must continue social distancing practices, including maintaining, at least, six feet of distance from others.
4. Clean and disinfect workspaces: The employer must continue to regularly clean and disinfect all areas, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment.
5. Maintain quarantine: The employee must continue to self-quarantine and self-monitor for temperature and symptoms when not at the workplace for 14 days after last exposure.

If an employee is symptomatic upon arrival at work or becomes sick with COVID-19 symptoms while at the workplace, absent close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19, the employee must be separated and sent home immediately and may return to work upon completing at least 10 days of isolation from the onset of symptoms OR upon receipt of a negative COVID-19 test result.