As we continue preparations for COVID-19 this page will be used to inform employees of the actions the city is currently taking to protect our staff and what you can do to help continue this effort. As city employees, it is our responsibility to educate ourselves and community members alike of the facts in this situation.
- For COVID-19 HR related issues, please e-mail: COVID-19HR@tuscaloosa.com
- For all other COVID-19 employee related questions, please e-mail: Cdrake@tuscaloosa.com
Employee Updates
August 3, 2020 – Policy for COVID-19 Child Care Leave
June 18, 2020 – COVID-19 Leave/Testing Process for Employees
April 2, 2020 – COVID-19 Employee Information Update
March 31, 2020 – COVID-19 Employee Information Update
March 24, 2020 – IC Update
March 23, 2020 – Childcare options for employees
March 23, 2020 – Weekly Update from Mayor and IC Staff
Employee EFMLA: What you need to know
- For short-term leave, you are always able to use AVAIL hours or other accrued leave (to the extent applicable), so long as you follow City and department rules on using or requesting such leave.
- There are also new leave types available for COVID-19 related health and quarantine issues, contact your supervisor if you feel you may need to utilize this type of leave.
- As we navigate the upcoming school year, you may find yourself in need of longer term child care, and may need to request additional leave. To be eligible for EFMLA (Emergency Family and Medical Leave Act ) or EPSLA (Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act) leave for child care leave, the below must apply:
- The employee must be caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed, or whose child care provider is unavailable, for reasons related to COVID-19.
- There must be no other suitable person available to care for the child during the period of absence.
- The employee must be unable to work (or telework).
- It is your responsibility to report a potential need for leave, but we understand that you may not know yet if you will need leave, especially for child care. If you think there is a chance that you may need to request leave for child care, please let your manager know ASAP so that your department can plan ahead for any short-term gaps. The easiest way to report a potential need for leave is by using the COVID-19 Leave Inquiry Form.
If you are interested in working overtime in your department, or another department, should a need arise, please fill out the brief Overtime Pool Form.
To read the City’s full policy for COVID-19 related child care leave, please visit Tuscaloosa.com/staff-covid19.
Travel Restrictions
If a city employee travels to a Level 3 area as designated by the CDC, they must be excluded from work for the duration of the 14-day monitoring period. City employees should follow this guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health to self-monitor for 14 days after leaving the affected area. Employees should notify their immediate supervisor, if applicable, to let them know they are self-monitoring for COVID-19.
Employees who choose to travel to a level 3 area and are required to participate in the 14 day self-monitoring period will be instructed to use AVAIL time and will not be paid for time missed if AVAIL is not available.
If a city employee travels anywhere outside of the state of Alabama, they will be asked to complete this form. The basic information gathered in this form is necessary so that the city may take precautions to protect the health and safety of all employees.
Because this is a quickly-evolving situation, we are committed to transparent practices with our employees. Please continue to monitor the CDC website for changes among the travel tiers classification.