Vanderbilt has reinstated the COVID-19 paid leave bank, which is available to eligible staff. The paid leave bank is in addition to an individual’s current PTO accruals. The bank consists of a maximum of one week, which is 40 hours, of COVID-19 leave per employee.
“At Vanderbilt, we care about the health and wellness of our employees. While we have tried to make our campus as safe as possible, requiring the vaccine and visitors to wear masks, we realize that our staff face risks especially with the new delta variant,” said Cleo Rucker, associate vice chancellor and chief human resource officer. “Reinstating the COVID-19 paid leave bank provides paid leave to staff who become ill or who cannot work remotely when quarantined. We want those who become ill to stay at home and not risk exposing other members of the Vanderbilt community by coming to campus.”
The leave bank is specifically intended to encourage staff who might be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to stay home and not come to work until cleared by Occupational Health. It is also designed to remove the worry of missing work for those who become ill or are required to quarantine as a result of COVID-19.
All staff with any COVID-19 symptoms should immediately contact the Occupational Health Clinic and follow all guidance related to testing, isolation and quarantining. Detailed guidance for staff experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is available on the university’s Health and Safety Protocols website.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Leave Bank at vu.edu/covidleavebank.