COVID-19 Travel Policy for Faculty/Staff (7/20/20)
Employees traveling domestically or internationally are subject to these guidelines and the recommendations of medical professionals, public health officials, and institute administrators. These guidelines are subject to change without notice – we anticipate domestic travel returning before international travel.
All nonessential Institute-related travel is suspended until further notice. Nonessential travel is defined as travel not requested in writing by the Institute. Essential travel will require the written approval of a Vice President and the President.
While CalArts cannot prevent your personal travel, it will require travelers self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return from travel, whether international or domestic. Anyone intending to travel should be aware of the risks of such travel, including, but not limited to:
- Contracting COVID-19
- being potentially stranded due to government travel restrictions and/or subject to a federally mandated quarantine when the employee returns from travel
- not being allowed to leave a location if a travel ban to/from that location were to be issued;
- being placed into mandatory quarantine because they show symptoms of the coronavirus or because they have traveled – potentially even if only for a connecting flight – from a location that is considered at-risk; and
- Being subject to in-country quarantine (for international travel) or other disease control measures (for domestic and international travel) that are beyond the control of the Institute.
While the Institute does not expect essential travel, if there is travel that is deemed essential, it must be authorized by an employee’s supervisor and VP/Dean, and approved in writing by a VP/Dean and the President of the Institution. Essential travel is voluntary and there will be no retaliation against an employee who chooses not to travel while this policy is in effect. No employee will be required to travel to a country for which any of the CDC Travel Health Warnings for COVID-19 has been issued.
Staff or faculty who may need to travel for personal reasons are urged to review the State Department’s Travel Notices and the CDC Travel Health Notices, and to carefully consider whether the value of the travel to them outweighs the risks faced as a result of this travel.
Any staff or faculty member who has travelled internationally or domestically (outside of California) will also be required to self-quarantine for fourteen (14) days (or longer if symptomatic).
Employees who are subject to quarantine may work from home if feasible or appropriate. If work at home arrangements are not feasible:
- Employees whose travel was deemed essential may receive administrative leave;
- Employees who need to travel for personal reasons will be required to use accrued vacation, sick leave and/or unpaid personal leave while under the required 14-day self-quarantine.