Employees are strongly encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster so that, as a community, we can minimize the risk of transmission to those who cannot be vaccinated. When vaccinated or boosted, employees should upload a copy of their immunization card in Workday or provide the card to Human Resources. The Mount will confidentially maintain records documenting vaccination status. Employees who do not upload a vaccination card will be considered unvaccinated and must provide to HR proof of a negative COVID-19 test on a weekly basis. Unvaccinated employees who test positive for COVID-19 will not be required to participate in weekly testing for 90-days past their positive test date. Testing requirements will resume weekly following the 90-days.
If you are “at risk,” as defined by OSHA’s Workplace Guidance, it is recommended that you take extra precautions to prevent becoming infected with COVID-19 even if you are fully vaccinated. At risk individuals include those who have had a prior organ transplant, as well as prolonged use of corticosteroids or other immune-weakening medications that may affect an individual’s ability to have a full immune response to vaccination.
If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms that are not associated with a previous health condition (such as allergies), please immediately leave work and contact your health care provider and Human Resources. Employees should follow any established procedures within their department for notifying their supervisor of their absence. Please do not report to work if you are sick and experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. You may be required by Human Resources to quarantine for 5 or more days.
Non-compliance with the requirements of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
Employees who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, must follow CDC isolation guidelines:
In the event of a positive case, contact tracing will be initiated to identify close contacts who may be required to quarantine in accordance with CDC guidance. For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period within 48 hours (or 2 days) of the infected person developing symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19. All medical information obtained during contact tracing efforts will be protected as confidential.
Employees who are not fully vaccinated (as defined above) must monitor their temperature and COVID-19 symptoms daily. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms that are not associated with a previous health condition (such as allergies), contact your health care provider and Human Resources immediately and get tested.
The Human Resources Office in collaboration with Frederick Health will continue to offer a free COVID-19 vaccination/booster and COVID-19 testing clinic on most Wednesdays from 8 to 10 a.m. Watch for weekly email announcements.
Employees who are not fully vaccinated are required to participate in weekly surveillance testing on campus (either PCR or antigen tests) for COVID-19. Negative tests are due to Human Resources by Friday at noon, weekly.
Depending on the position and job description, remote work may be possible for some of an employee’s work time. Employees who are interested in remote work should discuss with their supervisors the options that are available in their situations.
For faculty/instructors, remote teaching and learning options will only be available by exception. Only faculty/instructors with a documented disability may request reasonable accommodations to their work environment.
Employees who believe that they require workplace accommodation due to a disability should begin the process of submitting a request by contacting the Office of Human Resources.
Faculty and staff who are requesting workplace accommodations at Mount St. Mary’s University are required to submit documentation under the ADA Amendments Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and may be entitled to reasonable accommodations and the right to equal access to programs and services.
The interactive process of determining what accommodations are reasonable and appropriate for an employee with a disability is done on a case-by-case basis and involves the employee, the supervisor/manager, and the Office of Human Resources. Employees who believe that they require workplace accommodation due to a disability should submit a request/contact the Office of Human Resources.
Download the MSMU ADA Request Form and submit it to the Office of Human Resources.
A reasonable accommodation is a modification or change in the workplace or the way things are customarily done that provides an equal employment opportunity to an individual with a disability.
All qualified employees with disabilities including regular, full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, are eligible to request workplace accommodations. An employee is considered to have a disability under this policy if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, or if he or she has a record of such impairment.
Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working.
An employee is considered qualified if he or she has the requisite skills, experience and education to perform the job, and is able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation.
The State of Maryland has identified a high nuber of fraudulently filed unemployment claims due to the exploitation of the COVID-19 crisis. Unfortunately, we have learned that a number of Mount employees have been impacted by this as well. All impacted employees have been notified directly.
If you believe you may be a victim of unemployment fraud:
Last updated June 3, 2022.