Staff and researchers - COVID-19 advice

COVID-19 Health resources (zip, 3mb)

Physical Distancing resources (zip, 1.7mb)

If you are working from home, your supervisor will be in regular contact to ensure staff are kept informed; workloads and outputs are reviewed and support is provided as required.

Your employment terms and conditions, University policies, and relevant workplace legislation still apply when working from home.

If you are working from home, you are still covered by worker's compensation while performing University work.

A full guide to working at home is available here. Hints on how to look after your health while working from home are available here.

If you use your own phones or internet for work purposes, you may be able to claim a deduction if you:

• Paid for these costs and
• Have records to support your claims.

If you use your phone for internet for both work and private use, you will need to work out the percentage that reasonably relates to your work use.

Further details can be found on the ATO website.

Continuing and fixed-term professional staff can request a change to work hours, days or work pattern through my.UQ. You must discuss your request with your supervisor. Your supervisor will need to consider your request and the impact on the organisational unit's operations.

Many professional staff at UQ must work within a standard spread of hours. If you initiate a change to your work hours or days beyond the spread of hours applicable to your role under The University of Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021, your new arrangement will be considered ordinary time and paid at ordinary rates (penalty rates are not applicable).

Changing your work hours, days or work pattern may impact your leave entitlements. For more information:

• talk to your HR Client Services team
• read the Hours of Work and Flexible Work Arrangements Policies [5.55].

Instructions to complete your request can be found here. Please ensure that if you are working from home due to COVID-19, you have registered the details in MyAurion.

Example: My staff member wants to work early mornings or weekends from home to accommodate caring responsibilities while schools are closed/pupil free as a result of COVID-19. Can they do so?

Many professional staff at UQ must work within a standard spread of hours. That means, in order to work outside these hours, they will need to request a change to work hours, days or work pattern through my.UQ. If a staff member initiates a change to their hours or days beyond the spread of hours applicable to their role under The University of Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021, the new arrangement will be considered ordinary time and paid at ordinary rates, penalty rates are not applicable.

Academic staff and professional staff at or above HEW Level 8 have no standard spread of hours, therefore supervisors may approve these arrangements on a case by case basis.

For more information:

• talk to your local HR Client Services team
• read the Hours of Work and Flexible Work Arrangements Policies [5.55].

Remember to ensure if you and your team are working from home due to COVID-19, details need to be registered and maintained in MyAurion.

Flexible work options

If you have team members trying to balance caring responsibilities and existing workloads, or they are adapting to working from home, you may choose to discuss flexible work options with them. Remember that changing work hours, days or work pattern may impact an individual’s salary and leave entitlements.

Leading a remote team

Guidance for leading a remote team is included in the COVID-19 Support Toolkit for Managers, available here.

For supervisors, it is recommended that you have at least daily short check-ins on phone or video with your direct reports and establish regular (eg daily or weekly) reporting frameworks on work in progress and completed. Supervisors need to maintain a sense of virtual presence and the best way to achieve this is to use video conferencing with video enabled or other ‘media rich’ communications. 

Make the best use of technology

UQ ITS have developed a Working Remotely pack to support supervisors with an overview of IT requirements and information for working off campus.

Remember to ensure if you and your team are working from home due to COVID-19, details need to be registered and maintained in MyAurion.

Yes – all injuries that occur during the course of work must be reported through UQSafe Incident. If you are working from home this is deemed a workplace under the Work Health and Safety Act 2001 and there is a requirement that all injuries/illnesses are reported if they are work-related. You should advise your supervisor as soon as practicable.

If you require medical treatment or cannot work, you are entitled to submit a Workers Compensation Claim. Each claim for compensation is assessed on a case by case basis, in accordance with the legislation.

In light of the evolving COVID-19 situation, the University has made the decision to cancel or postpone all events that are not integral to our teaching and /or research programs. Unless otherwise announced, this directive will remain in place until 30 June 2020, in the first instance.

Such cancelled events include those for students, alumni and staff and other events on campus that are being run, hosted, or controlled by the University.

The regular contract cleaning of approximately 40,000 spaces around campuses is continuing with a focus on all hard surfaces and touch points using paper towel and sanitiser.

Separate teams work in higher-traffic buildings and areas from 9am-5pm sanitising hard surfaces and touch points (e.g. handles, rail, bins, switches, bathrooms, equipment). This team is also despatched by HSW for precautionary cleaning where a person has flu-like symptoms and has gone home ill, or where a person has been contacted by QLD Health as a potential close contact of a confirmed case.

Staff and students can also help by cleaning their work areas. Work practices such as cleaning (several times per day) commonly touched surfaces such as benches, lab equipment, desks, phones, remote controls, printers, fax machines, computer mice and keyboards, help reduce the threat of disease transmission. Cleaning products can be purchased via UQ eMarket. If you require specific disinfecting supplies (designed for killing viruses) that are not readily available via UQ eMarket contact procurement@uq.edu.au for assistance. Always use cleaning products as recommended on manufacturer labels.

Wash your hands thoroughly before and after cleaning. Hand washing should include the use of regular soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. If soap is not immediately available, use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol content or greater. Remember – DO NOT touch your face when cleaning. Avoid touching your face, hair, and neck as much as you can always.

Some of the things you should consider include:

• Cancelling or postponing non-essential visits.
• Minimise the number of workers attending to deliveries and contactors as much as possible.
• Clear instructions are to be given about UQ requirements while they are on site.
• Minimise physical interaction where possible by using contactless methods, mobile phones.
• Ensure compliance with 1.5 m physical distancing requirements. This may require staff to work in another location while contractor works are being conducted.

UQ public drinking water supplies are safe to drink, however the surfaces around the fountain including the spout and button/lever could pose a transmission risk for COVID-19 and other germs. At this stage, it is not certain how long viruses that cause COVID-19 survives on surfaces.  

It is recommended that you not place your mouth on the spout of a water fountain. Test the water flow and let the water run for a few seconds before drinking without putting your mouth or lips on the spout. When filling up your water bottle at the drink fountain, ensure the spout of your drink bottle does not contact the fountain head or bubbler. 

If the fountain requires you to push a button or lever, clean the surface first or use your knuckle or elbow.  If you do use your fingers/thumb, avoid touching your face until you clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.   

No. You must not attend campus or visit any UQ facility while waiting for COVID-19 test results.  You are  required to self-isolate at home while you wait for test results which may take from one to several days. The people you live with and other close contacts do not need to self-isolate unless advised otherwise from the Public Health unit.

If the result is positive, you will receive a call from a public health doctor or nurse who will tell you what to do next.  You will need to stay at home in self-isolation until you recover. You will be monitored by Queensland Public Health.

If the result is negative, your doctor or the clinic that tested you will let you know.  You may return to work unless you are unwell for other reasons.

If you are a UQ staff member and are impacted by any of the restrictions please advise your supervisor, who will in turn will work with you to provide the necessary support.

You should have a conversation with your supervisor so they are aware of your personal circumstances during this time. If you're struggling with anxiety or worry about COVID-19, check the Head to Health's COVID‑19 support page which outlines some steps you can take.

If you are a staff member who requires support, UQ offers a free, confidential counselling service through Benestar, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). 

Our teams are well-placed to provide support and advice, and put in place all necessary arrangements.

You should try to have regular conversations with your supervisor about any COVID-19 related questions you may have.

For general COVID-19 staff related questions, you can call HR on +61 (07) 3365 2623 or email askhr@uq.edu.au.

If a member of staff has been diagnosed, or contacted by Queensland Health and asked to self-isolate, email askhr@uq.edu.au or call HR on +61 (07) 3365 2623.

For students, please contact Student Services +61 (07) 3365 1704 or toll free within Australia: 1800 512 391.

The eLearning team, library, and ITaLI are currently offering training sessions and professional development online via Zoom.

•  Library training page lists sessions on software, research skills, and publishing and research management.
• eLearning online workshops includes sessions on: virtual classroom(Zoom), Desktop recording, video assignments, Learn.UQ quizzes, test and exams
• ITaLI’s teaching and learning series is now being offered online.

Please check the COVID-19 (coronvirus) library services and ITaLI teaching and learning support pages to get current information about available services.

Be mindful that various conditions can produce cold or flu-like symptoms. People can have normal cold and flu viruses at any time, and we are moving closer to the Australian flu season so these may increase.

It is reasonable to check on the welfare of a student and ensure that they are aware of the latest health advice. 

If a student presents as unwell and has cold and flu-like symptoms, their supervisor should ask them to contact UQ Health Care or their preferred medical practitioner, making sure to call ahead to explain their symptoms prior to attending in person.

Importantly, if anyone feels unwell and has the onset of any cold or flu-like symptoms, they should stay at home and not attend campus. This is important to facilitate a quick recovery for them, and it is also important for their colleagues and friends whose health should be protected. 

Be mindful that various conditions can produce cold or flu-like symptoms. People can have normal cold and flu viruses at any time, and we are moving closer to the Australian flu season so these may increase.

It is reasonable to check on the welfare of a  colleague and ensure that they are aware of the latest health advice. If a colleague presents as unwell at work and has cold and flu-like symptoms, their supervisor should ask them to contact their medical practitioner (or UQ Health Care) for advice on an appropriate course of action, prior to physically attending.

Importantly, if anyone feels unwell and has the onset of any cold or flu-like symptoms, they should stay at home and not attend campus. This is important to facilitate a quick recovery for them, and it is also important for their colleagues and friends whose health should be protected. 

Staff should use UQ’s sick leave provisions.

There are a lot of people feeling anxious about COVID-19 and what catching the virus might mean for their specific circumstances - and that is absolutely understandable. There is a risk associated with being in any public space right now - whether that is at work, on public transport, at the shops, or at uni. Practicing health hygiene habits is the best way to mitigate these risks. See our health section here for more. If you're struggling with anxiety or worry about COVID-19, check the Head to Health's COVID‑19 support page which outlines some steps you can take.
 

At this stage, The University of Queensland is not considered an eligible employer under the requirements of the new JobKeeper Payment subsidy . This means, UQ staff will not be eligible for the payment.

With reduced numbers of staff on campus due to COVID-19 restrictions, it's important for supervisors to remember that their responsibility to provide sufficient training, instruction and supervision to ensure the safety of workers remains unchanged. Supervisors must ensure that an appropriate level of supervision is provided to workers based on their level of competency.  You must ensure that anyone under your supervision, including HDR or Masters students:

• adhere to the physical distancing requirements and where strict compliance with physical distancing requirements cannot be met, risk management plans are conducted
• is aware of the COVID-19 Management Plans
• is using PPE appropriate to the task at all times
• is encouraged to use impeccable personal hygiene practices including frequent handwashing
• cleans down shared desks and bench spaces, and shared training equipment between users and after use
• reports any workplace injuries and illness in UQSafe.

The supervisor must also implement an agreed communication process to ensure the worker is contactable.

No. Vaccines for the flu do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are currently working to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

Although the annual flu vaccine is not effective against COVID-19, participation in the annual vaccination program is highly recommended to protect your health and staff are encouraged to take advantage of the free flu vaccination available at UQ this year. You can book an appointment for this year’s program here.

Not necessarily. Hot desking will have to be done in a different way, however if you can avoid hot desking arrangements you should. Physical distancing and good hygiene practices are key controls for stopping the spread of COVID-19 so you should consider first whether it is reasonably practiceable for you to temporarily cease hot desking arrangements for the duration of the pandemic.

If it is not reasonably practiceable to temporarily cease hot desking then you must implement meaures to minimise the risk of the spread of infection through this practice. For example:

• Ensure workspaces (desks, chairs, shelves etc.) are cleaned either at the end of the day where only one person has used the workspace, or after each use by a person where multiple people are using the workspace throughout the day. Ensure that you have ready access to appropriate cleaning supplies to enable workspaces to be wiped down or cleaned.
• Where possible, you should have your own equipment such as keyboards and mice, so they are not shared between people. If sharing equipment is unavoidable, ensure that you have ready access to appropriate cleaning supplies to enable equipment to be thoroughly wiped down or cleaned after use by a person.
• Minimise the number of people in the office and therefore hot desking at any one time. For example, the organisation unit may consider allowing people to work from home if possible, and stagger shift times or allow people to work flexible hours.
• Use only a limited number of desks within the workplace for hot desking and allow people to "opt out" of the practice if they wish utilise a workspace on an ongoing basis.

You should also stay home if you are unwell, practice good hygiene and comply with physical distancing requirements. 

In addition to staying home if you are not well, keeping 1.5m from other people at all times, having impeccable hand hygiene and not touching your face, you can wipe down your own working area at the end of each day.  This will mean:

• Washing your hands before beginning
• Using an ethanol mixture spray and a paper towel or disinfectant wipes, wipe over your desk, keyboard, mouse and phone.
• Dispose of the paper towel in general rubbish
• Wash your hands after cleaning
• Speak with your HSW Manager/Lead about ordering cleaning products through eMarket.

Whilst there is still little data regarding the specific effects of COVID-19 on pregnant women, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RANZCOG) make the recommendation that, “where possible, pregnant health care workers be allocated to patients, and duties, that have reduced exposure to patients with, or suspected to have, COVID-19 infection”.  Further information is available here.  

Semester 1 timetables have changed. Please refer to the academic calendar for key dates.

UQ students on placement in health, aged care, education, food sciences and vet industries must be in Australia for 14 days before commencing.