All faculty and staff must be tested for COVID-19 before coming to campus for the semester. Check your UNH email for details on testing dates and locations. Faculty, staff and contractors must be tested no earlier than 8 days prior to the first day at work. Once you have had a negative test and are working on campus, you must continue to be tested once every 6-8 days until further notice. Even if you test negative, you will still need to submit to a temperature checks and fill out the online health screening form each day you're on campus.
Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 Health Screening for Employees
June 3, 2020
What is the new health screening requirement?
The New Hampshire Governor's Economic Reopening Taskforce distributed universal guidelines for New Hampshire employers to put in place to provide a healthy work environment. Effective immediately and until further notice, employers must have a process for screening all employees reporting for work for COVID-19 related symptoms. All employees who are sick or not feeling well are required to stay home.
Who must follow the screening requirement guidelines?
Any employee, including student employees and post docs, who comes to one of the three campuses or any work-related site outside of the home is required to follow the guidelines every day they do so, effectively immediately and until further notice.
What do the health screening requirements require?
No more than 1.5 hours before arriving to work, employees are required to take their temperature and login to an online portal to review a brief health self-assessment and confirm the answer to the five questions related to COVID-19 exposure and symptoms is no. They must also follow the recommendation on whether they should report to work or for authorized activities.
What are the questions that must be answered every day?
The questions, as set out in the state guidelines, are:
- Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19? Only answer yes if you have not already self-quarantined
- Have you had a fever or felt feverish in the last 72 hours?
- Are you experiencing any new respiratory symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough or shortness of breath?
- Are you experiencing any new muscle aches or chills?
- Have you experienced any new change in your sense of taste or smell?
Employees should use some discretion when responding to the questions as they are intended to identify unexplained or new symptoms. If, for example, you have muscle soreness due to gardening or other typical exertion, but have no fever or other COVID related symptoms, you may report to work that day.
What if I have a temperature of 100.0 F or higher, or I don’t pass the screening?
Employees should not go to campus or any other place they are doing their UNH work. Employees who are on campus or at a worksite already must leave immediately and contact their physician. They must also notify their supervisor that they will not be at work.
I took the self-assessment and have been informed I cannot work or do research or other educational activity on campus because of one of my answers. I do not believe my answer is related to COVID-19. How can I get permission to be on campus?
If you responded to the survey in earnest and were told not to report to work, but you do not believe the symptom is specifically related to COVID-19, contact your health care provider or UNH Health & Wellness to discuss. Until and unless your medical provider confirms that you do not have a diagnosis of COVID-19, you should not report to work and should follow the guidelines regarding sick employees.
Who can see the information that people are submitting through the five-question screening?
Information submitted will be treated as confidential. Supervisors will not see the information; they will only be told if an employee can or cannot report to work outside of the home.
If I'm only going to my office to pick up mail or get supplies and will only be there for a short time, do I have to comply with this requirement?
Yes. Anyone accessing a university building or any other work site is expected to comply.
What if I don’t have a thermometer? Can I be screened on campus?
If you need to have your temperature taken or access to a computer to do the screening report go to McGregor Memorial EMS, the UNH Police Department or UNH Health & Wellness, all in Durham. In Manchester and at the Law School thermometers will soon be available with security.
Do I need to wear a mask?
While at work and in public, employees should wear a cloth face covering to help protect against the spread of the virus. Employees should review the CDC’s guidance on use of cloth face coverings. Medical-grade masks should be reserved for healthcare workers or first responders. The university has masks available but employees may wear their own masks should they choose to do so. If you need a mask please contact your supervisor.
I’ve been informed by my employee that they can not work based on the self-assessment. What should I do?
Instruct the employee to stay at home and follow guidance on the COVID-19 website about staying away from campus. Also, advise the employee to consult their primary care provider.
