Updates to COVID-19 Pay and PTO Policies

June 03, 2021

Throughout our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our team members have demonstrated time and again their commitment to our communities and the patients in our care. I remain deeply appreciative of all of you and for the resilience you have shown as we navigated this health crisis together.

During this time, we implemented policies and procedures to support our team members, which we continue to evaluate and adjust, based on where we are as a System.

Now, as our COVID-19 volumes decrease and we enter a new phase of our COVID-19 response, we have updated three pandemic policies related to administrative pay, premium pay and PTO that reflect the stability of our current situation across the System.

Administrative Pay for Quarantine Due to High-Risk Work Exposure
There is no change to the administrative pay available to team members who miss work to self-quarantine or a positive COVID-19 test resulting from a high-risk workplace exposure. However, starting June 20, 2021, administrative pay will not be available for time required away from work due to COVID-19 self-quarantine or positive tests that are not connected to a workplace exposure.
Paid Time Off (PTO) Maximum Balance Reinstated June 20, 2021
Throughout the most demanding months of the pandemic, we waived the PTO balance limits for team members, allowing you to accrue hours beyond your plan’s maximum. Starting June 20, 2021, if you are over your maximum accrual of PTO hours, you will not accrue more hours until you use your time. As your balance falls below the maximum, you will begin to accrue hours again on your plan’s accrual schedule. You can find your maximum accrual on page 2 of the PTO Policy.
Accrued PTO Hours Above Your Maximum Available Until May 7, 2022
In appreciation for team members’ commitment during the past year, we have extended the deadline for when these additional hours must be used. Team members who have exceeded their maximum PTO balance will have until May 7, 2022, to use them. Hours above the maximum at that point will expire from your PTO bank.
Premium Pay for Extra Work During a Pandemic Ends June 19, 2021
Any shifts not already scheduled to be worked at or after 5:00 p.m. June 19, 2021, will not be eligible for premium pandemic pay. Team members in qualifying departments who have signed up for or who have been assigned extra shifts to be worked on or before 5:00 p.m. June 19, 2021, will be eligible to receive premium pay for extra work for those shifts as outlined in the policy. Each member organization’s pre-pandemic bonus and incentive programs related to staffing will remain in place, to be used at the discretion of local leaders.

Date When Extra Shift was Assigned or Signed Up For	Date When Extra Shift Will Be Worked	Eligible for Pandemic Premium Pay?
Before notification of premium pay ending 5:00 p.m., June 2, 2021	Before or after June 19, 2021	Yes
After notification of premium pay ending and before 5:00 p.m., June 19, 2021	Before June 19, 2021	Yes
After notification of premium pay ending and before 5:00 p.m., June 19, 2021	After June 19, 2021	No
After 5:00 p.m., June 19, 2021	After June 19, 2021	No

We remain committed to implementing policies that are responsive to the needs of our team members now and into the future. As a reminder, all of the policies above remain important tools that we are able to reinstate if the course of the pandemic changes.

If you have any questions about these updates, please read the full, updated policies online or contact your Vice President of Human Resources.

Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
University of Maryland Medical System
The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Professor of Radiation Oncology
University of Maryland School of Medicine

FAQs

Why are we making these changes now?
While we all continue in the fight against COVID-19, the most demanding phase of our collective response to the pandemic is behind us. This means that we can return to many of our standard policies and procedures related to bonus pay and PTO. Our System and ICS leadership will continue to evaluate our policies created throughout the pandemic to ensure they are relevant and supporting our team members in providing the highest quality of care for our patients.

What happens to my PTO after June 20, 2021?

If you are above your maximum:

Any hours above your maximum accrual limit will remain available to you for use until May 7, 2022.
As you use hours throughout the year, you will not begin accruing more PTO hours until your balance is below the maximum.
If you have more hours in your PTO bank than your maximum limit as of May 7, 2022, all hours above the maximum will be removed from your PTO bank.

If you are not at your maximum:

You will continue to accrue at the schedule outlined in your PTO plan. View your accrual schedule online here.

Can I use all of my PTO hours that are above the maximum before June 20, 2021?
We are announcing this change to give as much notice as possible so that team members can make plans to use PTO as appropriate. Please talk with your manager to coordinate how best to use the PTO hours you have accrued.

If I’m not at my maximum accrual limit, will I lose any PTO hours May 7, 2022?
No. Only hours above your maximum as of May 7, 2022, will expire.

How do I know what my maximum PTO accrual is?
Refer to the PTO Policy for details on accrual schedules. In general, the maximum PTO balance for team members with FTE of 1.0 is:

Job Category	Years of Service	Balance Limit
Non-exempt (excludes RN PAM designated roles)	Before 5^th anniversary	264
	5^th anniversary	324
	10^th anniversary	384
	20^th anniversary	444
Exempt and RN PAM designated roles	Before 5^th anniversary	324
	5^th anniversary	384
	20^th anniversary	444

Are all bonus programs for extra work being discontinued?
No. You may still be eligible for bonus programs and policies at your member organization unrelated to our pandemic response. Only the Premium Pay for Extra Work During a Pandemic is being discontinued at this time.

I was asked to self-quarantine because of a possible exposure at my child’s school. Am I eligible for administrative pay while I am away from work?
No. Starting June 20, 2021, administrative pay will be offered to team members for mandatory self-quarantine or positive COVID-19 tests resulting from a high-risk exposure at work only. If you are required to self-quarantine due to an exposure or positive COVID-19 test outside of work, you can choose to work from home if allowed for your position or use PTO.

How do I make sure that I receive administrative pay for a high-risk work exposure?
While you are awaiting test results, no action is required on your part. Through the System’s contact-tracing process with Employee Health (EH) and Infection Prevention (IP), we document all work exposures to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. If quarantine is required, IP/EH will notify the respective manager of the high-risk exposure and required quarantine period. The manager and team member will discuss options and the capability to work from home during the quarantine period. If a team member is not able to work remotely due to COVID-19 symptoms or job responsibilities that cannot be completed remotely, the manager will enter paid administrative leave in the team member’s timecard for missed work time.

If your test result for COVID-19 is positive, action is required. Team members must contact the leave management vendor for your member organization and submit supporting documentation of the positive test result to continue payment of administrative leave pay.

This content is for Internal Use only.