Employees

Employees who can work from home should continue to do so. Leaders will be in contact with their teams to provide direction. Some employees working in health, safety, well-being and core services for students, staff and faculty will be required to complete daily or twice-weekly rapid testing. These individuals will be notified by their leaders.  

Before returning to work on campus, employees must:

• View the eight-minute COVID-19 training module video on OWL.
• Complete the  province's COVID-19 self-assessment before each work shift/visit to campus.
• Stay home if you are feeling unwell. Complete the Absence Notification Tool on My Human Resources and notify your supervisor.

Once on campus:

• Wear a medical mask provided by the University. These are required indoors and outdoors when physical distancing is a challenge. 
• Wash hands thoroughly and often and avoid touching your face.
• Disinfect your desk, work area, computer equipment and tools frequently.

The policy applies to all students, employees and visitors of the university and its affiliated university colleges: King’s, Huron, and Brescia.   

• Western's Employee Assistance Program (LifeWorks) can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This free and confidential service is for employees and their family members.
• The Mental Health webpage for faculty and staff members lists other counselling opportunities as well as campus and community resources for those experiencing mental health challenges.
• Employee Well-being provides both supportive and proactive services and programs to help you be your physical and mental best.
• Wellness opportunities, including a link to Living Well @ Western can be found on the Human Resource Wellness webpage.
• Western’s remains open and recently moved to Thames Hall. Appointments are required. Visit the Clinic website for more details. Please note: any patient experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 will be redirected to an assessment center for evaluation.
• Our COVID-19 Employee Resource page offers resources for your mental and physical health, as well as tips for working from home.

Please visit Western Technology Services (WTS) for assistance with online teaching, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Owl, Blackboard Collaborate, WROAMS, etc. You can also call the WTS Helpdesk at 519-661-3800 or submit a service ticket for assistance.

Employees must use Western’s Absence Notification Tool or call Human Resources at 519-661-2194 and select option 3, and should also continue to follow normal departmental communication processes for absence notification. The tool is designed to provide the University with the vital information to track and monitor unanticipated absences from scheduled work during the COVID-19 pandemic. A newly adopted policy requires all Faculty and Staff members (including part-time, contract, Postdocs, Graduate Teaching Assistants and Student Employees) to report each day of an unanticipated absence using the tool.

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Employees who were scheduled to work and reported their absence on the Absence Notification Tool or by contacting Human Resources may or may not be paid, depending on the employment policies or collective agreement provisions applicable to your role at Western.

Doctor’s notes are not required for absences shorter than 21 working days.

Student-staff employees will be required to report to the Student Illness Notification Tool and the employee Absence Notification Tool .

• Capacity in research spaces has been reduced to 50 per cent, effective December 18, 2021.
• Human face-to-face research involving non-campus personnel requires verification of full vaccination status.
• Three-layer masks are required for all researchers, trainees and research participants on campus.
• Researchers and participants working within two metres of each other must also wear safety goggles, with further protection provided by a face shield if recommended by their supervisors.
• International research activities requiring travel should be suspended.
• All other previously permitted research models can continue. Please discuss all new research studies with your decanal support unit.

Please see the Western Research COVID-19 update page for current notices.

Three-ply masks are required for all researchers, trainees and research participants on campus. Researchers and participants working within two metres of each other must also wear safety goggles, with further protection provided by a face shield if recommended by their supervisors.

Wash your hands frequently, do not touch your face and clean surfaces.

Please note: the “ Return to Campus Questionnaire” must be completed before each return to campus. Please also review the recommended health and safety measures.

All employees must complete a Health Assessment Questionnaire prior to returning to work. Individuals will receive a unique link in a daily reminder email (please do not share your link) or alternatively, they may go directly to the questionnaire on Qualtrics.

Research personnel are expected to clean surfaces and tools prior to, and following, use. In addition, Facilities Management caretaking staff will clean floors using a hydrogen peroxide-based cleaner (ES65H) on a weekly basis and will empty garbage receptacles. They will focus on cleaning high-touch surfaces, such as door handles and light switches at least daily using disinfectant cleaner.

In instances where research with participants is permitted, based on Western's Research Recovery Plan:

• Stop the test and inform everyone in the room why.
• Ask all participating people to watch for symptoms.
• Clean the room as usual following a research study, which includes wiping everything down (deep cleaning only for confirmed cases, which would include the addition of e-cleaning).
• Anyone with COVID-19-like symptoms should be tested based on clinical assessment.
• a) If results are negative:
  • Inform your team to watch for symptoms; individuals need to self-isolate until 24 hours after symptom resolution.
• b) If results are positive:
  • Individuals need to self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days from symptom onset.
  • All people in the lab who were exposed should be tested and, while waiting for test results, must quarantine.
  • The local health unit (in our case MLHU) receives positive test results, and will step in for contact tracing and provide recommendations.
• Clean the room as usual after a research study, which includes wiping everything down (deep cleaning only for confirmed cases, which would include the addition of e-cleaning).

In instances where research with participants is permitted, based on Western's Research Recovery Plan:

• Stop the test and inform everyone in the room why.
• Inform your team to watch for symptoms.
• Inform your team that this matter is confidential.
• Anyone with COVID-19-like symptoms should be tested based on clinical assessment.
• a) If results are negative:
  • Inform your team to watch for symptoms; individuals need to self-isolate until 24 hours after symptom resolution.
• b) If results are positive:
  • Individuals need to self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days from symptom onset.
  • All people in the lab who were exposed should be tested and, while waiting for test results, must quarantine.
  • The local health unit (in our case MLHU) receives positive test results, and will step in for contact tracing and provide recommendations.
• Clean the room as usual after a research study, which includes wiping everything down (deep cleaning only for confirmed cases, which would include the addition of e-cleaning).

Additional Resources:

• For up-to-date guidance on testing in the Middlesex-London region, please see the London Health Sciences Centre’s Pathology and Laboratory Medicine website
• Middlesex-London Health Unit
• Western University COVID-19 information

Delays to research programs may occur as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to keep research sponsors apprised of the status of research projects that are subject to agreements with contractual obligations. If you have questions/concerns about existing research agreements, please contact crt@uwo.ca. Our team will help you discuss the status of your research project with the sponsor and find solutions during this uncertain time.