August 4, 2020
Good Morning,
You are receiving this email because you have been identified by your President’s Council designee to return to campus in phase 2. Employees identified in phase 2 will be notified by their supervisor of their official return to work date. Please be aware that your return to work date will be no later than August 21st but not prior to August 17th. Should you already be reporting to campus, either full-time or telecommuting on certain days, you may continue to do so. Please direct questions about your return to work date to your supervisor.
SUNY Potsdam is required to adhere to the New York State Reopening Office-Based Guidelines for Employers and Employees. These mandatory guidelines have been established to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and create the safest working environment possible. Therefore, please be sure to review the Return to Work Guidance and Policy.
You must wear a face-covering that covers your mouth and nose while on campus. Should you need to obtain a face-covering, on both August 17th and 18th from 7:30am to 8:30am there will be a drive through to pick up a face covering. You must enter campus through Barrington drive and make your first right onto Watertown drive at Thatcher Hall. Vehicles should not enter campus from any other route if you are picking up a face covering. Employees should not exit their vehicle or put their windows down. You must open your trunk and a face covering will be placed inside your trunk for you. Those distributing the face coverings will be wearing a face covering as well. Should you have questions regarding the distribution of face coverings please contact Patrick O’Brien, Director of Environmental Health & Safety.
All employees physically reporting to campus must complete a health-screening questionnaire daily and within 60 minutes of their arrival to campus. Employees will be required to answer yes or no to four questions and may access the screening tool here. Although the online screening tool is the preferred method, the College understands not every employee may have access. For employees that do not have access to the online screening tool, please contact Human Resources at proulxme@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2086 for an alternate option. Employees that do not have a thermometer may contact Student Health Services at shs@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2377. If an employee answers no to all four questions, an email will be sent to the supervisor they selected and the employee is approved to report to work. If an employee answers yes to any of the four questions, an email will be sent to the supervisor they selected and to Human Resources. Responses to the individual questions will not be seen by your supervisor.
Employees who answer yes to any of the questions are directed not to report to work on campus and to call their supervisor and Human Resources immediately. For employees whose position allows them to effectively work from home, you may be considered for a short term telecommuting plan. All telecommuting plans must be approved by your Supervisor, President’s Council designee and Human Resources. Otherwise, employees will be required to follow regular time and attendance procedures.
Employees that would like to request an accommodation should contact Jennifer Murray, Assistant Director of Human Resources, at murrayjm@potsdam.edu.
As a reminder, all employees must complete a training on the return to the workplace by September 1, 2020. An email notification was sent with the required information to complete this mandatory training through Bizlibrary. For additional information on how to access the site please click here. Should you have any questions about the training materials, please contact me, Tracy Harcourt, Director of Student Health Services, or Patrick O’Brien, Director of Environmental Health & Safety. If you have any questions about completing the training within Bizlibrary, please contact Jennifer Murray, Assistant Director of Human Resources.
Thank you for your commitment to the safety of the SUNY Potsdam community.
Melissa Proulx
Director of Human Resources
(315) 267-2086