Non-essential staff must stay home, Temple University announces

Supervisors will determine whether staff members are deemed essential and should come in to work.

A classroom on the 11th floor of Anderson Hall sits empty on March 16. CLAUDIA SALVATO / THE TEMPLE NEWS

All Temple University employees not deemed as essential by their supervisor should stay home and work remotely until further notice amid the spread of COVID-19, the university announced Monday. 

The meaning of “essential employees” is not limited to the definition in Temple’s employee manual or those that the university has historically designated as such, according to the announcement. 

Employees who support the continued operations of the university, perform critical research or provide direct services to students remaining on campus may have to continue to come to work, according to the announcement.

“Each manager should assess which functions are critical and must continue, which employees must perform those functions and whether those functions must be performed on campus,” wrote President Richard Englert and Provost JoAnne Epps in the announcement.

The directive is in line with the City of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania’s mandate that all non-essential businesses close. There are eight cases of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus, in Philadelphia.

What to do if you are sick?
Stay home, avoid public areas and avoid public transportation if you feel sick. You should isolate yourself from people as much as possible and limit contact with pets and animals. You should call your doctor and schedule an apointment before visiting a doctor’s office, urgent care, etc. You or your doctor should alert a health department of your illness.
If you are sick, you should wear a facemask around other people. Cover your coughs and sneezes and wash your hands often for 20 seconds with soap and water.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*