Mask Recommendation, Rules for Quarantine

Out of mutual consideration and for the protection of persons at particular risk, the wearing of a protective mask (for stronger self-protection, if necessary, FFP2 mask) is still recommended indoors, especially in confined spatial situations and at events.

Quarantine issues/suspicion

The regulations on quarantine measures are very differentiated due to the overload of public health offices, the development and spread of the highly contagious Omikron variant, and the vaccination protection already available in large parts of the population. Quarantine is no longer ordered by the regulatory authority in all cases, but applies automatically with the exceptions specified in the CoronaTestQurantineVerordnung. An overview can be found here:
www.uni-due.de/de/covid-19/quarantaene.php

Also, individuals who have cold symptoms or a positive rapid test/self-test should seclude themselves as best as possible until a possible Corona infection is clarified by further testing. The home office policy should be applied very liberally in this regard to avoid passing on infection within the university. Employees coordinate with their supervisors.

Please inform your:n supervisor(s) of a suspected case and also send information about a case of illness to: personaldezernat@uni-due.de.

Will I receive my salary during a quarantine?

Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements will receive pay as if they were incapacitated for work for a period of six weeks. After that, payment of remuneration is discontinued and sick pay regulations apply.

The federal and state governments have agreed that, starting Nov. 1, 2021, continued pay will no longer be paid if a non-immunized person must be quarantined for up to 10 days after contact with an infectious case or after returning from a risk area (and cannot work in a home office in the meantime). Those who are infected will also receive pay while in quarantine, regardless of vaccination status.

Mobile working during quarantine?

If a quarantine obligation arises for you, see Quarantine Rules (as of 05 May 2022) (uni-due.de), but you have no symptoms and are not on sick leave, work from home. Please discuss immediately with your supervisor which tasks you can and should perform.

In the case of a recommended quarantine, supervisors will decide whether home office options can be used. In this case, it is necessary to proceed prudently and carefully, also taking into account the functioning of the respective area, and to assess the respective individual case (e.g. Can these employees work alone for a few days or is a team affected? Can protective measures be applied consistently?). Persons for whom, for example, there is a serious risk of falling ill (e.g. direct, unprotected contact with an infected person) should, in case of doubt, observe and test themselves at home for a few days if the performance of tasks would have to be carried out in a team and in the presence of others.

Homeoffice

What home office regulations apply to me?

The home office obligation ended on March 19, 2022.

For employees in technology and administration, home office is possible under the "Home Office" service agreement. If the request has been approved by the manager but not yet finalized by the HR department, home office can still be used after March 19, 2022 within the framework agreed with the manager.

A "Home Office" service agreement for artistic/scientific employees is in preparation. Until the service agreement is concluded, the following applies: flexible working is also common for scientific employees in many areas and can be continued after consultation with superiors.

In Everyday Work

Can an office be used by more than one person?

See the explanations in the operational measures concept, point II 1. Design of workplaces, here.

What do I do during staff meetings?

Service meetings can be held in person and in digital format. It is strongly recommended that participants carry out a self-test (or a quick test in the citizen test center) prior to a face-to-face meeting.

There is no documentation requirement for this.

Vaccination

Is vaccination possible during working hours?

If employees still wish to be vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, vaccination appointments during regular
Vaccination appointments during regular working hours are not counted as time off.

In this case, vaccination appointments should preferably be made at the place of work. Information on current vaccination opportunities in Duisburg or Essen can be found at:
https://www.uni-due.de/de/covid-19/impfung.php

I am part of the group at risk

A general determination for classification into a risk group is not possible. Therefore, a person-specific risk assessment in the sense of an (occupational) medical assessment is necessary, which considers the variety of different pre-existing conditions, their severity and other influencing factors such as medication use.

Individuals who are at increased risk for a severe course of COVID-19 and who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons must be given special protection. A physician's certificate must be provided for this purpose. More detailed information and instructions for this group of people can be found on the website of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) or on a leaflet of the Federal Center for Health Education.

Please contact your attending physician who, if necessary, will certify the existence of an increased risk together with the company physician. This certificate should expressly not contain any diagnoses or other information that would allow conclusions to be drawn about existing illnesses.

Insofar as it is possible due to the tasks, an individual arrangement can be made in consultation with the manager in accordance with the DV Home Office. If the work can only be performed in the presence of the employee, you must also perform it in this manner. Compliance with the AHA rules minimizes the risk of infection. It may be possible to further reduce the risk by taking other effective protective measures, e.g. partitioning with glass, using an individual office or similar.

Current Notes on Business Trips

As no countries or regions have been designated as high-risk areas at present, necessary domestic and international business trips may be undertaken - subject to the respective country-specific entry requirements. Should countries be re-designated as virus variant areas, business travel to these countries will be prohibited for all employees.

The designation of high-risk and virus variant areas may continue to change at short notice. Therefore, please check the website of the Robert Koch Institute before planning and starting your trip, as well as during your stay, to determine whether the destination has been classified as a high-risk or virus variant area.

If there are reservations on the part of the employee or the manager about a business trip, the trip should not be undertaken.

What should I do before and during a business trip abroad?

It is expressly pointed out that in international air and travel traffic, entry restrictions, quarantine measures and restrictions on public life are still to be expected in many countries. Since situations change rapidly, it is imperative to observe the applicable travel and security information issued by the Auswärtiges Amt as well as the regulations of the respective country of travel when obtaining approval, immediately prior to departure and during the business trip.

Travel services must also only be booked at short notice before departure and, if possible, with flexible conditions in the event that travel regulations and/or entry bans change again.

The business travelers are obliged to inform themselves before the start of the business trip about the distance and hygiene regulations as well as about all official measures on site, in particular the entry regulations. In addition, the business trip must be limited in time to what is necessary. The group of travelers should also be kept as small as possible.

What should I do if the region becomes a virus variant area during the business trip?

If the region is declared a virus variant area during the business trip, the business trip should be terminated as quickly as possible and the traveler should return to Germany. Travelers returning from these areas are obliged to observe the regulations on quarantine, compulsory registration and testing in accordance with the current Corona Entry Ordinance.