Information about MUS & Federally Mandated COVID-19 Leave
To the Campus Community,
During these times, it is understandable that many are concerned about how they will handle the effects and pressure that COVID-19 may have on their need to be away from work. This concern may arise from being directly and/or indirectly affected by COVID-19.
The Montana University System will provide a new “Paid COVID-19 Leave” for up to 30 calendar days, subject to certain eligibility requirements and in coordination with regular statutory sick-leave requirements for state government employees. Your campus and system Human Resources officers are implementing plans to administer this special leave in accordance with state guidelines. This leave program will be managed consistently with steps taken in other agencies, departments and branches of state government.
As the State of Montana prepares for potential impacts of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, employees are encouraged to review the information found on Montana Western’s Human Resources webpage in the Employee Resources section, where you will also find answers to many Frequently Asked Questions in a PDF document. We highly encourage you to take time to read this important information available at the links below:
https://www.umwestern.edu/section/employee-resources/
You may also access this information directly from the following link:
https://www.umwestern.edu/wp-content/uploads/MUS-Paid-COVID-19-Leave-in-Certain-Situations.pdf
As we get further information, we will let you know and update the Human Resources webpage accordingly.
We also wanted to provide you information about federally mandated Coronavirus leave:
Federally Mandated Coronavirus Leave
Families First Coronavirus Response Act – This provides public sector employees (including the Montana University System) with two forms of paid leave for workers impacted by the outbreak.
- The first paid leave provision entitles employees who have been on the payroll for 30 calendar days up to 12 weeks of job-protection leave as established under the Family and Medical Leave Act for a qualifying need. A qualifying need includes instances where the employee is unable to work or telework due to the need to care for a minor child if the child’s school or childcare is unavailable due to a public health emergency. The first 10 days of this leave would be unpaid but employees would have the option to substitute sick leave or annual vacation leave. The remainder of the leave would be paid at a two-thirds regular rate of pay with certain total caps on daily and total compensation. These details will be coordinated with the regular Montana sick leave provisions and the Paid COVID-19 Leave noted above.
- The second paid leave in the federal mandate is emergency paid sick leave. This leave, which is largely overlapping or concurrent with normal state sick leave, is for employees who are unable to work for COVID-19 circumstances such as quarantine, care for family members, and other situations such as those described above. This leave, too, will be coordinated with the normal sick leave benefit and the state Paid COVID-19 Leave program.
Again, we understand these times are stressful for many of you. Your campus and system Human Resources officers are working diligently to provide you with all available information. We thank you for your patience while we work through this difficult and ever-changing time.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].