Expanded Covid-19 Related Leave/Supplemental Paid Sick Leave

Friday, April 9, 2021, 2:45am

To:    All Sonoma State University Employees
Fr:    Payroll and Benefits

We understand that while vaccines are now available for all our employees, the concern over COVID-19 continues. The risk for illness is still present which means we must take precautionary measures that can take time away from work due to COVID-19 related reasons. Our leave options for COVID-19 related reasons for 2020 were exhausted as they ended effective December 31, 2020.  We are happy to announce two different options available to our employees at this time.  

  1. Expanded COVID-19 Related Leave (ECRL) which is available to Non Represented,  CSUEU, SUPA, Teamsters, and UAPD employees.  (Other represented employees may be offered the same program if an agreement is reached between their respective unions and the CSU through the meet and confer process.) 
  2. Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) which is available to all represented employees (excluding Non Represented,  CSUEU, SUPA, Teamsters, and UAPD employees).  

Please see the applicable section to the leave type that pertains to your employment with the University.  Please note that neither type of leave is applicable to our rehired annuitants.

Expanded Covid-19 Related Leave - Non Represented , CSUEU, SUPA and UAPD Employees

In effort to support our workforce, Chancellor Castro has approved an Expanded COVID-19 Related Leave (ECRL) program for non-represented employees (MPP, C99, etc.) and MOU’s have been established for CSUEU, SUPA, UAPD employees who are unable to work for COVID-19 related reasons. The program allows for up to 128 hours (16 days), prorated based upon FTE, for all currently active non-represented employees from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.  ECRL can be used for the following COVID-19 related reasons when an employee is unable to work or telework:

  • Employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 as defined by federal, state, or local orders or guidelines. 
  • Employee is advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19. 
  • Employee is attending an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. 
  • Employee is experiencing symptoms related to a COVID-19 vaccine. 
  • Employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis.
  • Employee is caring for a family member who is subject to a quarantine or isolation order or guideline or who has been advised to self-quarantine by a health care provider due to concerns related to COVID-19. 
  • Employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or otherwise unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises.

To request ECRL, the Request for CSU Expanded Covid-19 Related (Paid) Leave (ECRL) Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) form should be completed and submitted to payroll@sonoma.edu.  The absence should be entered in Absence Management using the PAL/FFCRA option with a comment of “ECRL” (comment MUST be entered).  Exempt employees must utilize the time in full day increments.  Do not enter in Absence Management if ECRL is for an hourly employee, or if a correction is being made to time already reported. In this situation, only the request form is needed. Please submit the form to our office for processing. You may contact payroll@sonoma.edu for further assistance.

Expanded Covid-19 Related Leave - Teamsters (Unit 6) 

As communicated to all Teamsters employees on February 19, 2021, an agreement was recently reached between the California State University (CSU) and the Teamsters (Unit 6) to create a new COVID-19 related leave program - Expanded COVID-19 Related Leave (ECRL). Under ECRL, up to 256 hours is available to eligible employees when unable to work remotely. ECRL is effective January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.  All applicable COVID-19 related reasons are listed on the memo sent previously.

To request ECRL, the Request for CSU Teamsters Expanded Covid-19 Related (Paid) Leave (ECRL) Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) form should be completed and submitted to payroll@sonoma.edu.  The absence should be entered in Absence Management using the PAL/FFCRA option with a comment of “ECRL” (comment MUST be entered).  

Supplemental Paid Sick Leave 

Applicable at this time to: APC, CFA and UAW Employees

On March 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 95, which creates new Labor Code section 248.2 and mandates that employers provide employees with supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) for various COVID-related absences in addition to paid time off benefits employees receive by law or policy, e.g., non-COVID paid sick leave or vacation. The new statute applies retroactively to January 1, 2021, and is effective through September 30, 2021.  Below is a high level summary of SB 95 provisions: 
Hours:  80 hours for full time and prorated for less than full time
Reasons for leave usage:

  • Employee is subject to a quarantine order from the appropriate agency
  • Employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19
  • The employee is attending an appointment to receive a vaccine for protection against contracting COVID-19.
  • The employee is experiencing symptoms related to a COVID-19 vaccine that prevent the employee from being able to work.
  • The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.
  • The employee is caring for a family member, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 245.5, who is subject to a COVID-19 quarantine or isolation period or has been advised by a healthcare provided to quarantine due to COVID-19
  • The covered employee is caring for a child, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 245.5, whose school or place of care is closed or otherwise unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises.

Please see the 2021 COVID Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) for more information.  If you previously used leave credits (excluding ECRL) for any of the reasons above please send an email to payroll@sonoma.edu and we will adjust the entry accordingly.  At this time, the use of SPSL must be tracked manually until further instructions are provided.  Until that time, if SPSL needs to be used, please submit the time used by emailing payroll@sonoma.edu.  

Please send any questions regarding this guidance to payroll@sonoma.edu. Thank you for all the work you do to support our SSU community and helping all of us stay healthy and well.