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COVID-19 Staff Resources

Updated July 30, 2021

A key principle of Otis College’s navigation through the current global COVID-19 pandemic is the protection of the health, safety, and wellness of our community members. With this in mind, the College is coordinating campus operations and planning with guidance from local, state, and federal public health entities. 

ACCESS TO CAMPUS/CONSENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The responsibility of keeping ourselves and others safe while on campus continues to be important. To this end, Otis College provides information and training to ensure that all public health protocols are shared, understood, and observed. The educational information on the COVID-19 Response Hub represents an ongoing effort to provide up-to-date and reliable information, with an emphasis on campus community health and safety. 

Before returning to campus, we are asking all employees to visit this link to review some brief educational videos and complete the accompanying Staff & Faculty COVID-19 Consent/Acknowledgement form. All faculty and staff must complete this training by August 16. The form only needs to be completed once. If you have questions regarding coming to campus, please contact Helane Wilbourne at hwilbourne@otis.edu or Steve McQueen, Captain/Acting Chief Campus Safety, at smcqueen@otis.edu.   

VACCINATIONS, COVERIFIED APP, VACCINATION CARDS 

Otis College has a vaccination and mask policy. Please review the policy here and adhere to the guidelines set forth in the policy.

In order to create a safe and healthy campus community to the best of our ability, Otis College now requires that all students, faculty, Extension instructors, and staff be vaccinated against COVID-19. The College is requiring information about your vaccination status for the following reasons: 

  • To maintain a safe and healthy workplace
  • To comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to COVID-19
  • To support the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and visitors to our campuses 

Otis College will utilize the CoVerified App to assist the College in tracking vaccination status, whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated. You are required to provide accurate information about your vaccination status by August 16, 2021. 

  • If you are vaccinated:
    • Fully vaccinated faculty and staff must utilize the vaccination card upload feature.
    • Due to the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant, the CDC is recommending that vaccinated individuals, when exposed to someone with either confirmed or suspected COVID, get tested 3-5 days after the exposure. 
    • Otis College will cover the costs of COVID testing following a confirmed or suspected exposure.
  • If you are unvaccinated:
    • Unvaccinated faculty and staff will need to submit vaccination exemptions (medical with doctor’s note or religious) to Helane Wilbourne, AVP, Human Resources, hwilbourne@otis.edu and 310-665-6862 
    • Unvaccinated faculty and staff must utilize both the daily symptom check and weekly testing upload features. Testing results must be uploaded weekly on Thursdays by 4:00 p.m. PT.
    • Unvaccinated faculty and staff must go for weekly testing. Otis College will allow paid time off for testing. The College will pay for weekly testing until September 30, 2021.  Beginning October 1, 2021, unvaccinated faculty and staff will be required to pay for all weekly testing.  The College will utilize Reliant Urgent Care to facilitate weekly testing. Please connect with Helane Wilbourne, AVP, Human Resources hwilbourne@otis.edu and 310-665-6862 to get set up.

Uploading your vaccination card:

Each faculty and staff member will receive an email to log-in to the CoVerified App to upload their vaccination card once a profile has been established in the system. In some cases, you may already have a profile in the system. To ensure data integrity, we will be resetting the Otis College community CoVerified account on August 6, 2021 and you will need to re-upload your vaccination card if you already had done so prior to this date.

The CoVerified App includes a step-by-step guide to assist in uploading your vaccination card. Once uploaded, your card will then be confirmed or disallowed.

Unvaccinated daily symptom check and weekly testing: 

Once you have downloaded and logged into the CoVerified App, begin to utilize both the daily symptom checking and weekly testing upload features. Instructions for these features are included on the app. 

Downloading the app:

You must first download the app to your mobile device (phone or tablet). The app is available on both Apple and Android platforms. Instead of going to the app store, please directly download the CoVerified App by following this link here.

Confidentiality:  

It is important to know that your personal information is protected. CoVerified does not partner with any third-party vendors, nor will they share any of your information with third parties. More information on the CoVerified App is available here.

If you have questions or issues with the Coverified App, please reach out to Helane Wilbourne, AVP, Human Resources, at hwilbourne@otis.edu. 

CONTACT TRACING 

If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, please contact your manager, as well as Helane Wilbourne, AVP, Human Resources, at hwilbourne@otis.edu, or Steve McQueen, Captain/Acting Chief Campus Safety, at smcqueen@otis.edu.  

As a next step, we’ll need to interview you to identify and provide support to people who may have been infected through their exposure to you. This confidential contact tracing process prevents further transmission of the virus by separating people who have, or may have, COVID-19 from people who do not. Contact tracing also alerts Otis College to areas of the campus that require special sanitation cleaning.

COVID-19 TESTING 

If you are interested in getting tested for COVID-19, please consult the Los Angeles County Department of Health website or call 2-1-1. You may also contact your primary healthcare provider.

COVID-19 VACCINATION DISTRIBUTION 

The Student Health and Wellness (SHWC) has procured COVID-19 vaccines and supplies and will host pop-up vaccine clinics throughout the academic year to those not already vaccinated. The dates and information for the vaccine clinics will be available on campus and sent via email. 

To sign up for vaccinations through Los Angeles County you can visit this website. To learn more about vaccine distribution in the County, please visit this website. 

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANT PROGRAM 

As a reminder, Otis College faculty and staff have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is offered at no cost to help you and your dependents cope with any concerns. 

When visiting the site, please use the following log-in information:

  • Username: EAP4OTIS
  • Password: EAP4OTIS

All services are confidential and available 24/7.

HOME QUARANTINE INSTRUCTIONS 

In Los Angeles County, if you have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and you are NOT vaccinated, you are required to:

  • Quarantine by staying home and isolating yourself from others for 10 days. 
  • Monitor your health for 14 days. 
  • Follow the Health Officer Quarantine Order, along with the steps outlined here.

It is recommended that you get tested for COVID-19.

If you have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and you ARE vaccinated, you are required to:

  • Monitor your health for 14 days. There are no instructions for quarantine and testing at this time. 
  • Follow the guidelines here for more information on exposure to a person diagnosed with COVID-19.

TIME OFF GUIDELINES 

It may be necessary to take time off to take care of yourself, a family member who is sick, or to quarantine. Following are guidelines for managing time off. 

You may use accrued sick time for the following:

  • To care for yourself or family members who are sick
  • To stay home during state- or locally-required quarantine periods after travel
  • To stay home during state- or locally-required quarantine periods instituted after the start of otherwise approved time off

You may use accrued vacation time for the following, subject to approval:

  • To stay home during state- or locally-required quarantine periods after travel only if requested and approved prior to the scheduled time off
  • To stay home during state- or locally-required quarantine periods instituted after the start of otherwise approved time off

You may request unpaid time off for the following, subject to approval:

  • To stay home during state- or locally-required quarantine periods after travel
  • To stay home during state- or locally-required quarantine periods instituted after the start of otherwise approved time off

Please contact Pam Sasuga, Benefits Director, at psasuga@otis.edu if you have questions.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AND GUIDANCE 

Travel restrictions and guidance are shared on this COVID-19 Response Hub. If you are planning to travel, please visit the guidelines here. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where can I find more information about the College’s reopening process?

    Please refer to the Reopening Guidelines for Faculty and Staff for more information about the College’s reopening process.

  • If I need to care for myself or a family member if sick, can I also do work and not use my sick pay?

    The priority in any instance requiring sick time is to attend to your own, or your family members’, needs. This time should be accounted for through the utilization of sick pay. Staff members who are required to care for an immediate family member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 may also be eligible for family medical leave pursuant to the College’s family medical leave policy, and therefore should consult with Human Resources if they are in this situation.

  • Can the Student Health and Wellness Center test faculty or staff members?

    The Student Health and Wellness Center may be conducting surveillance testing for unvaccinated faculty and staff. However, if any faculty or staff member feels ill, please contact your healthcare professional for testing and guidance.

  • What are some best practices to consider for remote work?

    Here are a few quick suggestions:

    • Designate an “office” space. Create a quiet place to concentrate and spread out. Find an area in which work-related material can be stored and organized and secured.
    • Establish work hours. Develop a schedule and stick to it. If at all possible, adhere to the same work schedule that is followed on campus (8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., with breaks). You need to plan to be available during this time for co-workers, etc.
    • Communicate with your team members early, often, and on a schedule. Communication can often be taken for granted when working on campus, since people can drop in or ask questions informally. Working from home means that communication must be more formal and intentional. Consider set times each day for phone calls to discuss progress, check in, or get updates. Explore the use of technology, such as the Zoom, to provide face-to-face interactions so that all of the nuances of communication can occur.
    • Anticipate interruptions and manage outside demands. Establish rules or guidelines for yourself and others to make it clear that you are engaged in your job/work and are not available for nonessential issues.
  • I have questions related to benefits? How do I get my questions answered?

    Pam Sasuga (psasuga@otis.edu) is working remotely and will continue to respond to all benefit questions, including those pertaining to medical, dental, and 403b plans. Pam will also be able to share links and phone numbers to relevant resources and other services.

  • I need to connect with Human Resources for questions unique to me or my area, where do I go?

    Please send an email to the Human Resources general mailbox at humanresources@otis.edu. This mailbox is monitored and checked several times a day. The appropriate HR staff member will get back to you as soon as possible. The College also has helpful resources, such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides confidential counseling services to employees and their families. To inquire about EAP, you can call 888-238-6232 or www.mylifevalues.com.

  • I'm having a tough time coping with COVID-19 fears, can I speak with someone?

    Yes. Our Employee Assistance Program through AETNA provides 24/7 help for coping with the unknown, whether it’s COVID-19 or any other stressor. You can learn more about the program here. To contact the EAP, you can call 888-238-6232 or www.mylifevalues.com.