Article
Back to campus: higher education concerns, risks and opportunities
Oct. 23, 2020
Higher education leaders have spent the last six-plus months determining how to bring students, faculty and staff back to campus in a safe and responsible way. The challenge has been significant and, as you know, the situation has been changing week to week and, often, day to day.
Baker Tilly recently presented a webinar to discuss some of the key concerns and risks facing colleges and universities as it pertains to the return to campus. Additionally, we discussed ways in which these current issues can turn into opportunities – both in the near future and in the long run – as institutions begin to reconstruct and adapt to a COVID-19 world.
Impacts to campus workforce and budget
Thinking back to March, the majority of campuses closed quickly. Colleges and universities had to abruptly and unexpectedly examine every aspect of how they work, including who needed to be on campus, who could work remotely, what technology was required and how human resources (HR) processes and budgets needed to change. As institutions handle the workforce impacts of COVID-19, you may need to:
- Change schedules: Utilize remote work and leverage flexible schedules for faculty and staff to the extent possible
- Maintain FFCRA compliance: Remember obligations under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
- Review HR-related policies: Ensure policies are current and compliant; in particular, pay attention to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), paid time off (PTO)/vacation and other types of leave
- Beware of legal minefields: Focus on issues related to safety, discrimination, wage and hour, Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)/Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) claims
- Keep things afloat: Actively manage the changing workforce to ensure operations can continue as the pandemic evolves
It is important to keep in mind that being a trusted employer is critical, that it is pivotal to communicate constantly and that the way you handle COVID-19 and the return to campus will have a lasting impact on your faculty, staff and students.