Emergency Paid Leave | University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources

Time Away for Faculty, Staff, and Student Workers for COVID-19

The University has reset the emergency leave available for faculty, staff, and student workers under the University Emergency Paid Leave for COVID-19 starting January 1, 2022. This time will also be available for 2023.

Starting January 1, employees have access to up to two weeks of University Emergency Paid Leave. Unused emergency leave from the previous year does not carry forward to the next calendar year. Full-time employees will have 80 hours of University Emergency Paid Leave time available on January 1, and those working part time will receive paid leave hours proportionate to the time they work. For example, someone working 50% time will receive 40 hours of Emergency Paid Leave, and a student who works an average of 15 hours a week would qualify for up to 30 hours of paid leave. The leave is available to eligible faculty, professional and administrative staff, civil service, labor represented, graduate assistants, professionals-in-training, and student workers. Temporary and casual workers are not eligible.

The Emergency Paid Leave can now be used for time away due to a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. Faculty, staff, and student workers who have an adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccine and need to stay home to recover can use the University Emergency Paid Leave for COVID-19 for this time away from work. The leave can also be used to care for a family member who experiences a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. If you already took time off due to a reaction to the vaccine (either your own or your loved one’s), consult with your unit’s time administrator or your unit human resources staff on using the leave retroactively.

University Emergency Paid Leave

What It Is

The University provides emergency paid leave when employees and student workers:

Are unable to work or work remotely due to COVID-related illness
Need to quarantine or isolate because of exposure to COVID-19
Must care for someone who is ill with COVID-19
Must care for a child whose school or childcare is closed or unavailable or help with the relocation of a college-age child due to COVID-19 (or if a student worker must take time off to relocate)
Need time off to get a COVID-19 vaccine
Have an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine and need time off to recover or who need to care for a family member who has a reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine

Hours Available

Employees: Up to 80 hours (prorated for part-time employees) for eligible employees. In any given week during the emergency, the employee may use up to the number of hours they would normally be scheduled to work.

Student workers: Eligible student workers can take paid emergency leave equal to the number of hours they work on average over a two-week period. So a student who works an average of 15 hours a week would qualify for up to 30 hours of paid leave.

How to Request Leave

Employees: Inform your supervisors and request time off in the My Time tab in MyU. Click on the Request Time Off button. Under "Filter by Type" and "Absence Name," choose "Excused Paid." Under "Reason," choose "Emergency Pandemic."

Students: Inform your supervisor. Either the student worker, their supervisor, or the unit time/absence administrator should enter leave hours equal to the normal schedule on the time sheet.

Navigate to MyU > My Time > Submit Timesheet.
Report daily time.
Using the drop-down menu, update the Time Reporting Code (TRC) to Emergency Pandemic Hourly.
Click Submit.

Employee Benefits

Benefits, including the employee health plan, will continue for employees while on Emergency Paid Leave related to COVID-19. UPlan Medical Plan participants using Medica will have COVID-19 tests covered. If you are ill due to COVID-19 for an extended period and have short-term disability insurance, contact UNUM.

More Information

If you have questions about COVID-related leaves or eligibility, please contact your unit's HR representative, or email or call the OHR Contact Center at [email protected], 612-624-8647, or 800-756-2363.