To all University of Utah staff and faculty,

We want you to know we appreciate your dedication to the university and your patience as we adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Many of you may have questions about how you will be affected by announced changes to campus operations aimed at slowing the spread of this virus. This unprecedented situation is evolving daily and, with that in mind, we want to offer some guidance on workplace practices designed to promote your safety as well as that of our entire campus community.

The best starting point for everyone is our coronavirus information website, dps.utah.edu/coronavirus, which is updated regularly.

Human Resources also has prepared a helpful site for faculty and staff, which is available at hr.utah.edu/coronavirus. University of Utah Health employees can also find additional information at pulse.utah.edu/program/covid.

Given that social distancing is the key to slowing the spread of this infection, many people are wondering whether they should work from home. At present, we are not mandating this step, although we are preparing for every eventuality.

Jeff Herring, our chief human resources officer, has convened a working group to develop a plan for how that might be implemented if necessary. At present, however, our campus is open and operating. Remember that due to the nature of their job duties, some employees may not be able to work from home. We are developing further information about how to address the needs and safety of mission-critical mandatory staff.

That said, should you feel that working from home would be a viable option for you, we would encourage you to speak with your supervisor who can work with HR to determine the feasibility and process. While we are monitoring the environment, it is a good time for all units and employees to prepare in the event the university mandates teleworking to the maximum extent possible across campus. This guide to telecommuting may be a helpful tool as you and your supervisor work through options in the event this becomes necessary.

The coronavirus situation changes daily, even hourly, so we will continue to be in contact with you as often as necessary to offer our best advice and ensure that you are equipped with the latest and most important information.

Please know that we are grateful to have you as a member of our campus community. We will get through this difficult time together, following our values and with the best interests of all in mind.

Regards,

Ruth Watkins
President

Michael Good
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

Daniel Reed
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs