COVID Remote Work Guidance

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Local 34 Members,

Please take a moment to read this FAQ we have created. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please reach out to your steward or Executive Board member. If you do not know who your contact is, please reply to this email and make sure to include your department.

Effective Monday, March 16 through Tuesday, March 31, only staff whose work is deemed critical to current operations will be expected to report to work on campus.

Does this mean Yale is closed?
No, but Local 34 members will be covered by the pay provisions of the Emergency Closing language in our contract from March 16th through March 31st 2020

What does the language say?

Staff members who are required to report to campus to perform critical functions will receive 1.5 times their regular pay. Clerical & Technical staff not deemed critical will be paid regular pay for their regularly scheduled hours, whether they work from home or remotely or not

How do I know if my work is deemed critical?

You should have received an email or a phone call from your supervisor today or yesterday letting you know if you need to report to work tomorrow. Management has much to sort out in the coming days about who is needed and how to distribute work fairly. This is not an acute short-term event like a snowstorm. Please be patient and in touch with your supervisor and your union steward about the latest developments.

What about working from home?

Many Clerical & Technical staff can work from home and will be encouraged or instructed to do so. For now, they will be paid regular pay for their regularly scheduled hours. The union supports this option. Please communicate with your supervisor to make your work plans. You may need to report to campus first in order to get the proper equipment, instructions and materials.

What If I haven’t heard from my supervisor?

If you are in a patient-facing role, assume you are critical and report to work as normally scheduled tomorrow. You are on the front-lines of this crisis and your union is committed to ensuring Yale meets all standards of protection for healthcare workers. If you are not in a patient-facing role, check your email for communications from your supervisor or department. Try to reach your supervisor. If you still have not heard from them, you should assume for now that you are not deemed critical and do not report to campus.

I’m worried that I should not be performing critical work at this time.

If you have concerns about your personal well-being, please speak to your supervisor, your lead administrator or your human resources generalist. You may also contact your medical provider for advice.

If my department is closed and my work is suspended, should I worry about losing pay or my job?

No. Yale is committed to keep everyone “whole” for wages through March 31st. Additionally, Local 34’s contract has strong language protecting us from layoffs. It requires that for a layoff to occur, work has gone away beyond this immediate period.

Please be mindful that this is a rapid changing situation, you may not be called on to work Monday, but may be needed later. Please be attentive to your work email for any updates from your supervisor.

We hope that this helps to answer some of your questions. Additionally, we have heard from those who are not receiving our emails, if you know of a co-worker that needs to get these updates please direct them to local34.org/emailsignup. If you’d like to receive our text blasts, send local34 to 877877, Message & Data Rates May Apply.

In Solidarity,

Laurie Kennington, President Local 34–UNITE HERE!

Ken Suzuki, Secretary–Treasurer Local 34–UNITE HERE!