Working Through COVID-19

Our employees' safety and well-being is our campus' top priority. We are committed to being available during this time of uncertainty to support you.

Please email your appropriate OHR staff member and they will respond as quickly as possible. In addition, the HR main line (760) 750-4418 and email account (hr@csum.edu) will continue to be monitored.

Frequently Asked Questions

Benefits

• If I am currently on an approved leave, am I allowed to work remotely?

  The regular return to work process remains in effect and the appropriate documentation is required before any work may resume.

• Will my insurance cover me or my family if we need to be tested for COVID-19?

  Employees and their dependents in the CalPERS health benefits program will not have any out-of-pocket payments for screening and testing of COVID-19. This applies to members in both the CalPERS HMO and PPO plans Please contact your primary care provider for instructions on how to be tested.

• Does the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or California Family Rights Act (CFRA) entitle an employee to take leave to avoid contracting COVID-19?

  No. FMLA and CFRA entitles employees to job-protected leave when they have a serious health condition or when they need leave to care for covered family members who have a serious health condition. Leave for the purposes of avoiding exposure to COVID-19 is not protected under the FMLA or CFRA.

• How will this impact my service credit accruals or retirement? Will I need to change my retirement date?

  The CalPERS Regional Offices are currently closed, but members can still contact the CalPERS Center at (888) 225-7377 to schedule a phone appointment or ask questions. As long as employees remain in active pay status, they will continue to accrue service credit as usual. Any changes to the employee's time base will impact the service credit accrual rate.

  Employees who are planning to have already submitted their retirement applications to CalPERS can move forward with their retirement as planned. Please contact HR with any additional questions via hr@csusm.edu. 

• Who can I contact if I still need a leave of absence?

  Please contact Michelle Buth via email at mbuth@csusm.edu. Michelle will provide all necessary information and guide you through the process.

General HR

• What do I do if I need to come on to campus?

  As a reminder, access to the campus is restricted to employees who have been designated to assist with critical functions and operations that can only be conducted in-person.

  Visit the CSUSM as One Guidelines for Coming to Campus for the most up-to-date procedures.

• I am over 65 and/or have a chronic medical condition. Do I need to report to work?

  Beginning March 15, 2020, CSU employees who were age 65 or older and/or who had chronic medical conditions were asked to immediately social distance themselves and remain away from work. Many of these individuals were able to telework but for those who could not, income protection, in the form of paid administrative leave, was provided. The CDC has recently revised its guidance pertaining to individuals at higher risk for COVID-19.  Based on this new guidance from the CDC, employees who are older and/or who have underlying medical conditions are not automatically entitled to paid administrative leave if they are not able to work remotely.  All current CDC Guidance is avaliable online.

  Employees who are able to effectively work remotely should be afforded the opportunity to continue.  However, employees who are not able to effectively work remotely and do not have either an approved leave or an approved accommodation through OHR, should be included in department repopulation plans. In addition, if they are in a position which has been designated as “essential,” they may be required to report to work prior to implementation of the repopulation plan.

  Employees who have medical concerns regarding their return to work including, but not limited to, being older and/or an underlying medical condition, should contact Melanie Hobbs (mhobbs@csusm.edu) in the Office of Human Resources (OHR)  regarding eligible leaves and/or other options which may be available to them. Employees with medical concerns are able to request accommodations through the campus’ normal ADA interactive process and can initiate that process by contacting Melanie Hobbs (mhobbs@csusm.edu). 

• I recently traveled out of state or out of the country. Am I required to self-quarantine?

  Given the everchanging COVID-19 situation, new travel restrictions for individuals returning to California from another state or country may be imposed at any time. However, employees are not currently restricted from personal travel. We strongly encourage departments to identify remote work for employees returning from personal travel, even if they are not symptomatic. However, we are not able to restrict employees from travelling nor are we able to require them to use a paid leave, such as CPAL, upon their return unless there are state, county, federal or CDC travel advisories in place. 

  Employees should keep in mind that state travel restrictions may be more restrictive than CDC travel advisories.

• Am I covered under Workers Compensation if I am working remotely?

  Employees who are teleworking are covered under Workers’ Compensation so any work-related injuries or illnesses that are reported by telecommuters will follow the same procedures as work-related injuries that are reported by non-telecommuters. All work-related injuries or illnesses must be promptly reported to Workers' Compensation.

  For ergonomic evaluations and any other safety needs please contact Safety, Health, and Sustainability. You may also refer to the SH&S Ergonomics page or seek assistance from SH&S if you are experiencing challenges.

  If equipment is needed due to a medical condition or disability, please contact the Office of Human Resources and follow the Reasonable Accommodation Request Process.

• How can I submit HR or Payroll forms when I am telecommuting?

  Employees should remove confidential information (e.g. SSN, DOB, etc.) from the document and then email it directly to your HR Analyst or Payroll Technician.

• What if I would like to request a vacation day?

  Employees must continue to follow their department procedure (and the controlling collective bargaining agreement, if applicable) to request and obtain approval for vacation time.

• How will this impact the recruitment process?

  HR will continue to monitor recruitments through our normal process. 

  All interviews are encouraged to be conducted via Zoom or Skype until further notice. Please keep in mind there should be consistency with each recruitment (e.g., all candidates are interviewed via Zoom).

• How will this impact a classification review or in-range progression request?

  There will be no impact to the classification review process nor in-range progression requests.

• What impact, if any, will this have on my performance evaluation (including due date)?

  The due date for annual performance evaluations for all bargaining unit and confidential employees is May 14, 2021. The review period remains the same (April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021).

  Performance evaluations for MPP's are due on June 25, 2021. The review period remains the same (May 1, 2020 through April 20, 2021).

  For questions, please contact Melinda Swearingen at mswearingen@csum.edu.

Payroll

• Do I need to report my time in PeopleSoft?

  Employees should continue to report their time and attendance in PeopleSoft. Time spent performing work at home will be recorded as if performing official duties on campus.

• How do I pick up my paycheck?

  To ensure maximum level of safety for all employees, all "live" paychecks will be mailed to the address listed in PeopleSoft.

  • To update your current address, log in to PeopleSoft and update your Personal Information.

  Please note that the State Controller's Office has permanently discontinued printing earning statements for employees enrolled in the Direct Deposit program. Register with Cal Employee Connect to access/view/print past pay stubs and W-2 forms.

• How can I update my home address?

  We encourage employees who are not enrolled in Direct Deposit to log in to PeopleSoft employee self-service MyCSUSM.

  Upon accessing MyCSUSM, employees can update their address by selecting "My HR Resources" and then "Personal Information."

Telecommuting

• Am I able to change my days or hours of work while telcommuting?

  Changes to work days and hours should be approved in advance by your manager and may require additional documentation (e.g. revised Alternate Work Schedule or Telecommuting Agreement). As part of the discussion about days or hours of work while telecommuting, employees and their managers should also discuss when/how to make contact on teleworking days.

• What if I am sick and unable to work while telecommuting?

  Employees who are sick and unable to work in their teleworking location should notify their manager and report those absences as they would in a normal office setting.

• How will work assignments be communicated to me?

  Work assignments will be provided by the appropriate administrator and can be communicated by phone, email, and/or other business systems/technology. Employees should complete all assigned work according to procedures determined by the appropriate administrator. Manager and employees are encouraged to have ongoing discussions regarding work assignments, deadlines, and potential impacts.

Well-being

• I am feeling anxious and overwhelmed. What should I do?

  CSUSM is committed to supporting our employees in navigating these challenges. We are deeply grateful to you for the work you are doing to help us continue to serve our students and maintain operations in a time of uncertainty and anxiety

  Our Employee Assistance Program, Empathia, provides well-being and counseling support 24/7 and can be reached at 800-367-7474 or online at www.mylifematters.com (password: cougars).

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