The Universitys extended COVID-19 paid leave benefits will be discontinued effective Aug. 1, 2021. The previous discontinue date of Sept. 30, 2021, has been changed due to the current health environment and the Universitys plans to return to normal operations beginning in the fall semester.

Employees may still utilize their accrued paid sick leaves for any health-related issues, including COVID-19.Verified and unverified sick leave may be used by employees that are advised to quarantine, are placed on home restriction, or are caring for a qualified family member with COVID-related restrictions. In addition, eligible employees may apply for a medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) by contacting the Human Resources office at (573) 651-2206.

As a reminder, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was a law passed by the U.S. Congress in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that required certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to the pandemic. The FFCRA expired on Dec. 31, 2020, and is no longer binding on employers.However, the University voluntarily continued providing to employees who are absent from work due to COVID-19 issues the same leave benefits of the FFCRA.