Information for Staff | COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)

UNSW Human Resources has set up a dedicated website on the HR intranet for staff and managers to access information about working from home and leave arrangements arising from the COVID-19 situation. Specific areas covered include:

Can staff members work remotely?

We strongly encourage staff who can work effectively from home to do so. Approval must be obtained from your Head of School (HoS) or line manager. Practical or personal challenges in working remotely should be discussed with your Faculty Executive Director, HoS or manager and advice may also be sought from the HR Business Partnering team. Additional advice on IT requirements for working-from-home can also be found on the IT website.

As the campus is now in secure mode building access is limited to students and staff who currently have 24/7 access. Those with access will need their student or staff pass to access their offices. If you need to use campus facilities and do not have access, speak with your manager. Some areas on campus will remain open without the need for card access, these include:

F21 Main Library (7am to 10pm, 7 days)
F8 Law Library 24/7
Paddington Campus Library (8am - 8.30pm, Monday to Friday and midday to 4pm Saturday only)
CATS rooms (7am – 10pm, Monday to Friday)
Building perimeter doors

Staff, HoS, and managers can consult the HR Intranet which outlines leave options, working-from-home guidelines and other useful FAQs. UNSW will implement the above steps for the foreseeable future, at least until the Easter break.

Can I deliver my classes online/remotely?

Teachers should, where it is possible to do so, deliver classes by online or other means that can be accessed remotely. Students should access online teaching material remotely and participate by remote means. This is achievable for lectures and for many tutorials and discussions. In addition, steps are underway to convert some laboratory practicals to video demonstrations or other methods that can accessed remotely.

Should I still attend meetings?

We ask staff to hold as many university business meetings as possible by A/V link or other remote means. All UNSW staff have access to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is a communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration.

UNSW IT is hosting remote Teams training sessions. Register here.

What should staff members do if a student asks questions or raises concerns about their studies?

Please refer them to The Nucleus for advice on how the University can best support them to continue with their studies.
Students can also access support via our Student Support Advisors or International Student Advisors.

What do I do if I am a staff member and my child is unable to attend school?

We are aware that some staff may need to take care of children who are unable to attend school due to NSW Government advice. You may be eligible for carer’s leave. Please contact your manager for further details.

Who can I contact for support?

If staff require support, they should talk to their manager. UNSW also provides support services for staff members through its free and confidential counselling service, Benestar, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).