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COVID-19 Paid Leave Policy

Swarthmore College is committed to continuing pay for employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who, while performing their job responsibilities, are considered a close contact to someone at the College who has tested positive for COVID-19. The guidelines for the College’s COVID-19 Paid Leave Policy are outlined below.

Eligibility

This policy applies to all staff members, including part-time, temporary, and casual staff.

Effective Dates

This policy is effective Sept. 6, 2021, and remains in effect until further notice. The College may modify this policy at any time based on current guidelines and conditions surrounding COVID-19.  

Policy  

Staff are eligible for up to 10 days of COVID-19 leave time if they meet one of the following circumstances:

  • You test positive for COVID-19
  • You are identified as a close contact as a result of performing your job responsibilities, and, as a result, you must quarantine in accordance with the College’s quarantine and isolation policy.
    • Close contacts who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic are not required to quarantine. Please refer to the College’s quarantine and isolation policy for additional details.

Staff placed on paid administrative leave/COVID-19 leave time will not be required to use accruals (sick or vacation time) for up to 10 calendar days. If an employee is not a full-time employee, pay continuity for a period of up to 10 calendar days will be based on regular work hours. If the period of quarantine or isolation continues beyond 10 calendar days, or if an employee’s health condition prevents them from returning to work, the employee will likely be required to use their own sick or vacation time; employees should consult with Human Resources if they have any questions. The supervisor will be notified of the employee’s status as appropriate, to ensure they are able to arrange adequate coverage.

An employee must not report to work on campus if they are feeling sick, have received a positive test result, are awaiting test results while symptomatic, or are experiencing symptoms potentially related to COVID-19. Please refer to the College’s quarantine and isolation policy for additional details. 

An employee who cannot report to work because they are sick or symptomatic should notify their supervisor of their absence as they normally would.