Time Off to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine

Applies to: All regular full-time, part-time, time as reported (TAR), and temporary staff; faculty; residents; fellows; postdoctoral appointees; Strong Staffing temporary employees; and student employees (undergraduate students and graduate students not paid a stipend or fellowship in furtherance of their degree) employed by the University in New York State.

I. Policy

Effective March 12, 2021, in accordance with New York State law⁽¹⁾, employees (as listed above) are entitled to take up to four hours of protected time off from work, with pay, to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

⁽¹⁾ New York Labor Law, Sec. 196-C.

II. Guidelines

A. Up to 4 hours of protected paid time off per COVID-19 vaccine injection will be provided where time off from work is necessary to receive the vaccine. Depending upon the vaccine appointment time, this time off may cover a late arrival following a vaccine appointment prior to work or an early departure if necessary to arrive for a vaccine appointment on time following work.

B. Employees in non-exempt job classification and paid hourly:

1. 1. Time off up to 4 hours per COVID-19 vaccine injection will not be charged against any accrued banks (sick time, PTO, or vacation). See section III.A. regarding time reporting codes to be used.
   2. If more than 4 hours of time off is needed to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the additional time should be charged to sick time, PTO, or vacation (if sick time/PTO is not available) or taken as unpaid time off where accrual banks are exhausted.

C. Salary paid employees and employees in exempt job classifications of faculty, resident, fellow, postdoctoral appointees, and Professional Administrative and Supervisory (PAS) positions who are paid hourly:

1. 1. Time taken for up to 4 hours for a COVID-19 vaccine injection will have no impact on pay and will not be coded as sick time. For tracking purposes, such time should be recorded using the codes described in section II.A. below.
   2. If more than 4 hours of time off is needed to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the additional time should be noted as sick time for tracking purposes.

D. Employees will not receive paid time off for the COVID-19 vaccine under this Policy when the vaccine is administered by the University, or one of its affiliates, and the time necessary to receive the vaccine is treated as time worked with no loss of pay.

E. COVID -19 vaccine booster shots are also covered under this Policy.

F. Employees must follow departmental notification procedures for time off to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and should provide as much advance notice as practicable.

G. Supervisors may request proof of vaccine by viewing the COVID-19 vaccine card provided to the employee by the vaccine provider. Documentation that indicates medical or other sensitive information may not be requested.

III. Procedures

A. Time Reporting:

1. Time off to receive a COVID -19 vaccine should be reported for no more than 4 hours per vaccine injection and using the time reporting code, “CVA” for non-exempt hourly paid staff. Salaried staff would use the code “CVS”.
2. Additional time off needed to receive a COVID-19 vaccine beyond 4 hours should be recorded using time reporting code of “SIC” for hourly staff not in a medical center division or “PTO” for hourly staff working in a medical center division. Salaried staff should use time reporting code of “SIK” for tracking purposes.

B. Calculation of Pay:

1. Shift differential will be included in the calculation of the excused absence pay when the staff member’s schedule qualifies for the shift differential.
2. Paid time off to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will not be counted as “time worked” in calculating overtime pay.