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LSU department heads told to start planning for regular business hours Aug. 17

3 years 7 months 3 weeks ago Thursday, August 06 2020 Aug 6, 2020 August 06, 2020 4:14 PM August 06, 2020 in News
Source: WBRZ TV

BATON ROUGE – In a letter to faculty and staff, the LSU administration told supervisors to begin making reopening plans and that some staff should prepare for regular business on Aug. 17.

Offices that deal directly with walk-ins and needs of students labeled as “customer-facing,” should expect to open at 8 a.m. August 17 and follow regular business hours.

Departments that operate behind the scenes may continue with a remote work structure, but should make efforts to be available during business hours – from posting phone numbers, to email addresses and social media accounts that are checked and responsive.

Should an employee not be able to report to work, supervisors are to plan accordingly.

Bosses should be “as flexible as possible with those who have circumstances that make it difficult to return to campus, such as underlying health conditions or childcare issues. While we understand that current circumstances may be difficult for some employees, it is up to department heads to create a plan and a schedule that provides coverage for customer-facing offices while still operating as safely as possible,” administrators wrote.

Employees will receive an LSU-branded face mask. Workers will adhere to the previously-announced requirement of wearing face coverings properly - over the nose and mouth - in all public spaces and especially when physical distancing of 6 feet is not possible.

Students return to LSU  August 24. All classes will move online after the Thanksgiving holiday, November 25-27.

LSU outlined more health information in a message to the campus Wednesday – CLICK HERE to read more.

Click here for the latest on coronavirus in Louisiana.

Click HERE for the LSU homepage related to COVID-19.

Letter sent to LSU faculty/staff Thursday (August 6):

Dear Faculty and Staff,

 

As we prepare for the fall semester, please be advised that the LSU campus will be open as of August 17, following CDC, state and local guidelines. Below are some details to assist departments with their staffing plans.

 

If your department/office is customer-facing, or has customer-facing components, those offices or components should be open and able to serve customers in person beginning August 17 at 8 a.m., and should follow regular business hours thereafter. Department heads and supervisors should work with their employees to ensure that this occurs, while also being as flexible as possible with those who have circumstances that make it difficult to return to campus, such as underlying health conditions or childcare issues. While we understand that current circumstances may be difficult for some employees, it is up to department heads to create a plan and a schedule that provides coverage for customer-facing offices while still operating as safely as possible.

 

Departments and offices that are not customer-facing, in other words, those that don’t typically receive walk-in business from students, employees, or the public, should create a plan for their employees about returning to campus or continuing to work remotely. Any offices that will not be physically open for in-person traffic by August 17 should have a notice posted on their main doors with contact information for how to reach someone within that office. A phone number is preferable, but email addresses and social media accounts are acceptable if someone is monitoring and responding to those messages in a timely manner. Offices with voice mail should also update voice mail greetings to reflect whether the office is open for in-person business or still working remotely, and provide instructions on how to contact employees, if necessary. Someone should also be checking and responding to messages left on office voice mail, social media, or email if customers are directed to use those contact methods.

 

Face coverings, worn properly over the nose and mouth, are required on campus in all public spaces and especially when physical distancing of 6 feet is not possible. The university will provide one LSU-branded cloth face mask to each employee; supervisors should have received masks for their employees by now and should communicate with their employees about when and how they will receive their mask.

 

Should you receive a positive test result for COVID-19 or become aware of exposure to someone with COVID-19, you are required to notify the LSU Emergency Operations Center and stay home to avoid spreading the virus.

 

Also, many of you have asked how to define “close contact." According to the CDC, “close contact” is defined as being within 6 feet of someone for more than 15 minutes. For more information on close contact, including examples, and what to do if you test positive for COVID-19, visit lsu.edu/roadmap/health/symptoms.php to see the protocols you should follow.

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