Frequently Asked Questions about Covid-19 Paid Administrative Leave
Q: Do employees need to apply for a leave through Human Resources to receive administrative leave?
No. If the employee qualifies for administrative leave per the policy guidelines and it has been approved by the supervisor and PI/Program Director, the supervisor will enter the time in Workforce for the employee.
Q: How do I enter administrative leave in Workforce?
Only the supervisor may enter administrative leave in Workforce. Please see Administrative Leave Tracking Guidance.
Q: Can the administrative leave be used on an intermittent basis?
Yes, the administrative leave may be used on an intermittent basis.
Q: How will employees record their work time and be paid if their work can be performed remotely?
Employees whose positions are compatible with telework will continue to work and will remain in a paid status and will report their time as usual. Hourly non-exempt employees on telework must continue to record the beginning and ending of their work day, as well as the start and stop times of their daily meal periods. All working time must be recorded. Overtime (more than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a workweek) may not be worked without prior manager approval.
Q: How will employees be paid if they are unable to work or telework because they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are caring for family members who have been diagnosed with COVID-19?
Employees may be paid via several mechanisms, based on projects’ and employees’ specific needs. These mechanisms include:
- Using available leave accruals (vacation, personal, and/or sick leave);
- Applying for leaves of absence through Workforce; and/or
- Applying for State Disability Insurance (SDI) and/or Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits, depending on their specific circumstance;
Additionally, employees may be provided with up to 256 hours of paid administrative leave prorated based on their regularly scheduled hours to allow them to remain in paid status subject to availability and allowability of funding.
PIs should consult with Human Resources to determine how these mechanisms will apply to project staff, and in what order. Employees should consult with their PIs for details on the ways in which leave applies to their specific projects and contact the Human Resources Leave Administrator at sdsurfbenefits@sdsu.edu for assistance.
Q: How will employees who are required to quarantine or self-isolate pursuant to medical recommendation be paid?
Employees will telework if possible and be paid as normal. Employees who are unable to telework may be paid via several mechanisms, based on projects’ and employees’ specific needs. These mechanisms include:
- Using available leave accruals (vacation, personal, and/or sick leave);
- Applying for leaves of absence through Workforce; and/or
- Applying for State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits.
Additionally, employees may be provided with up to 256 hours of paid administrative leave prorated based on their regularly scheduled hours to allow them to remain in paid status subject to availability and allowability of funding.
PIs should consult with Human Resources to determine how these mechanisms will apply to project staff, and in what order. Employees should consult with their PIs for details on the ways in which leave applies to their specific projects and contact the Human Resources Leave Administrator at sdsurfbenefits@sdsu.edu for assistance.
Q: How will employees who have been ordered to stay home per communications from the Chancellor’s Office and/or SDSU or SDSURF because they are considered at “high risk” for serious COVID-19 related illness be paid?
Employees will telework if possible and be paid as normal. Employees who are unable to telework may be paid via several mechanisms, based on projects’ and employees’ specific needs. These mechanisms include:
- Using available leave accruals (vacation, personal, and/or sick leave);
- Applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.
Additionally, employees may be provided with up to 256 hours of paid administrative leave prorated based on their regularly scheduled hours to allow them to remain in paid status subject to availability and allowability of funding.
PIs should consult with Human Resources to determine how these mechanisms will apply to project staff, and in what order Employees should consult with their PIs for details on the ways in which leave applies to their specific projects.
Q: How will employees who are unable to work because of daycare or school closures be paid?
Employees will telework if possible and be paid as usual. Employees who are unable to telework may be paid via several mechanisms, based on projects’ and employees’ specific needs. These mechanisms include:
- Using available leave accruals (vacation, personal, and/or sick leave);
- Applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.
Additionally, employees may be provided with up to 256 hours of paid administrative leave prorated based on their regularly scheduled hours to allow them to remain in paid status subject to availability and allowability of funding.
PIs should consult with Human Resources to determine how these mechanisms will apply to project staff, and in what order Employees should consult with their PIs for details on the ways in which leave applies to their specific projects.
Q: How will employees who are impacted by SDSU or SDSURF work location closures and who are unable to transition to telework be paid?
Employees will telework if possible and be paid as usual. Employees who are unable to telework may be paid via several mechanisms, based on projects’ and employees’ specific needs. These mechanisms include:
- Using available leave accruals (vacation, personal, and/or sick leave);
- Applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.
Additionally, employees may be provided with up to 256 hours of paid administrative leave prorated based on their regularly scheduled hours to allow them to remain in paid status subject to availability and allowability of funding.
PIs should consult with Human Resources to determine how these mechanisms will apply to project staff, and in what order Employees should consult with their PIs for details on the ways in which leave applies to their specific projects.
Q: How will students be paid if they are unable to work?
Students will telework if possible and be paid as normal. Students who are unable to work or telework due to the COVID-19 pandemic and who were ready and available to work must be put on paid administrative leave through 4/5/2020 at their regularly scheduled hours and current rate of pay to allow them to remain in paid status in accordance with CSU system-wide direction.
Q: Can a student use the administrative leave at a later date?
Yes. If a student is able to work or telework now and at a later date work is not available due to the COVID-19 crisis, the student may receive prorated administrative leave with supervisory and PI/Program Director approval. The paid administrative leave will prorated based on their regularly scheduled hours to allow them to remain in paid status subject to availability and allowability of funding and leave is available until December 31, 2020 or the end date of the individual student assignment, whichever occurs first.
Q: Can I decide not to provide the administrative leave to my employees if I don’t have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the leave?
Yes. Please complete the request for exception form below and a HR business partner will contact you to provide assistance.
SDSU Research Foundation COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave (Request for Exception)
Q: Can I provide administrative leave for some of my employees but not all?
It depends and only in circumstances where substantial business needs exist for differential treatment. PIs and Project Managers should submit a request for exception using the exception form below and a HR business partner will contact you to provide assistance.
SDSU Research Foundation COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave (Request for Exception)
Q: How do I find out if administrative leave can be charged to my grant or contract?
Many sponsor agencies, including NIH, NSF and the Department of Defense (DOD) have issued recent guidance regarding the allowability of administrative leave expenditures. There may be different notification and documentation requirements for each agency, so it is important for PIs to confirm these costs are allowable for their individual awards. PIs should contact their SDSURF grant specialist with questions related to a specific award. Individual agency policies are available on the Research Foundation's Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information page: https://www.foundation.sdsu.edu/important_notices_coronavirus.html
Q: What if my contract is ending or I have received a termination notice or stop work order from my funding agency? Are my employees still eligible for administrative leave?
No, employees whose assignments are ending for these reasons would not be eligible for paid administrative leave. They may apply for unemployment benefits. If you have received a termination notice or stop work order, contact your grants specialist and your HR Business Partner immediately for assistance with staff reductions.
Q: What if I want to reassign my employee to work on a different grant or contract to enable them to telework?
If employees are reassigned to work on other funded programs, their compensation should be reassigned to those sources of funds. Employees will still have access to their accruals unless the position is ended.