Returning to campus
This week, the majority of you will have started to resume work on campus in line with the Remote Working Framework.
Most colleagues will now spend a minimum of 50% of their time working on campus. As the University has welcomed staff back we’ve been holding webinars to make sure you are familiar with these new working arrangements and all the Covid measures we have in place to make Sussex safe.
These events allow you to put questions to senior managers from Estates, HR, Student Experience, and Health & Safety – and they’ve been proving popular so far. Answers have been provided on a wide range of topics such as: ventilation; the behaviour of colleagues and students; new ways of working; and contingency planning.
In September, we are hosting two more webinars allowing you to put questions to senior managers from Estates, HR, Student Experience, and Health & Safety. The final webinar will take place on Thursday 16 September – register for a place now.
If you feel unwell
If you feel unwell you should contact your line manager and, if possible, work from home until you feel better. People do have other conditions that make them sneeze and cough, so it’s important not to jump to conclusions.
It can help for those individuals to explain to their colleagues if they feel able, and/or to wear masks – appreciating that people may feel more vulnerable in a workplace after the pandemic. Read the HR FAQs on current ways of working and coming back to campus.
It can be difficult to keep up with the rules around self-isolation relating to Covid. Here is a quick summary of the rules:
- Self-isolate straight away and get a PCR test on GOV.UK if you have any of these Covid symptoms: a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
- If someone you live with has Covid symptoms, or has tested positive for Covid, you do not need to self-isolate if you're fully vaccinated or you're under 18.5 years old. Even if you do not have symptoms, you should still get a PCR test.
- If you test positive, your self-isolation period includes the day your symptoms started (or the day you had the test, if you did not have symptoms) and the next ten full days. You may need to self-isolate for longer if you get symptoms while self-isolating or your symptoms do not go away.
Getting tested
Even if you have been vaccinated, it is still worthwhile getting tested until official guidance changes. The Government recommends that people in the workplace get twice-weekly Covid-19 tests. We are making this as easy as possible for staff by supplying home testing kits at 11 locations across campus.
The University’s asymptomatic Covid test centre has also now re-opened and will operate at Bramber House, level 1 until Friday 1 October, for staff and student lateral flow testing. It’s also a useful way to quickly confirm your Covid status should you be ‘pinged’ by the NHS app. Book a test from Monday to Friday, at any time from 10am to 2pm.
A Mobile Testing Unit is on campus and will remain there for the foreseeable future, offering tests to anyone with symptoms - or who is otherwise advised to have a PCR test. Students living on campus will be provided with testing kits in their rooms.
Keeping you safe
The University recently asked staff about the types of measures they would like to see in place as they return to campus. We looked at this feedback in detail and are implementing a number of health and safety measures to protect the Sussex community:
- refreshed signage in high footfall spaces that face coverings are expected
- sanitiser stations in place across campus
- Perspex screens remaining in place where requested
- additional bins in teaching spaces
- QR codes to support the Track & Trace app
- ensuring ventilation systems and windows operate effectively
- the provision of lanyards so staff can signal they’d prefer greater social distancing
Working together on campus
It’s important to remember that we all have a responsibility for keeping ourselves and others safe.
We should also be respectful towards each other and understand the pandemic has affected people in different ways.
While the Government no longer requires staff and students to wear face coverings, the University expects and recommends that they are still worn in crowded spaces.
New signs placed in busy areas across campus will make this clear. If you forget to bring a mask to campus, they are available for purchase at the Co-Op in Bramber House.
We are also updating our Community Pledge which sets out how we will uphold the values of the University on campus, treating each other with dignity and respect. We will be sharing this soon.
Flu jab
The Government is currently rolling out a seasonal flu vaccine programme this month alongside any booster programme for Covid vaccines to protect as many lives as possible – and all staff returning to campus can take advantage of this.
The University pharmacy currently has a limited number of jabs available on a drop-in basis. University staff who are under 50 who are not eligible can pay for a vaccination and reclaim the cost through expenses. Find out about current information about flu vaccines and who is and isn’t eligible.
Free coffee and cake sessions at the ACCA
We’ve been hosting sessions at the ACCA café through the summer to help staff meet up with colleagues face-to-face and reacquaint themselves with campus. We’ve now added some extra sessions so you can now book an 11am or 2pm slot between now and Tuesday 14 September. If you'd like to book space for a group of ten or more please email: events@sussex.ac.uk. Please take a few minutes to read our other suggestions for ways to reconnect with your colleagues and campus.
Support for you
It can take a while to adjust used to being back on campus, so please talk to your line manager about any concerns and remember that our wellbeing hub also offers many tools and resources to look after your mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
The University’s Employee Assistance Programme also offers a broad range of services for staff and an evidence-based app to improve mental wellbeing. You can seek help on issues like health and wellbeing, finance, family issues or work/life balance. A confidential helpline also provides urgent support to staff on these matters 24 hours a day, seven days a week.