COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates & Resources for City Employees

As Durham, the state of North Carolina, and our entire country face the unknowns of COVID-19, the City’s top priority is to maintain essential services for our community while protecting the health and safety of our residents and employees.

This page will continue to serve as a resource for City of Durham employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing guidance for both on-site and remote work.

LATEST UPDATES

  • On October 7, Interim City Manager Wanda Page announced that City employees should expect to continue working as they have been (on-site, telecommuting, or a combination of the two) through at least the end of the calendar year. Learn more.
  • Risk Management has announced a number of recommendations and requirements for City of Durham employees and managers/supervisors to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during and after the Thanksgiving holiday. This guidance is effective through December 14. For broader state and local guidance, please click here.
  • In line with the Risk Management guidance detailed above, all City gyms/fitness facilities (with the exception of the Fire Department) will be closed effective November 30 through December 14.  
  • Effective November 23, the City's Severe Weather Policy has been temporarily amended to include two new sub-groups under the Group 2 employee designation. Learn more.
65 total positive COVID-19 cases at the City as of November 20, 2020

City Updates

Holiday Safety Guidelines

Please click here for employee-specific holiday guidance.

City Services & Facility Updates
Safer-at-Home Order

Policies & Guidance for City of Durham Employees

Whether working at home or out in the community, all of us are adjusting to the "new normal" of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Durham has implemented a number of temporary policies and other official guidance to ensure employees can continue to do their jobs during this time in a safe and effective manner.

Overview of Guidelines for Employees

Graphic of person wearing a face covering

1. Face Coverings & Masks
All employees must wear a face covering when in common areas of City facilities or anywhere social distancing is not possible. Bandanas and neck gaiters are no longer considered acceptable face coverings for employees. Read more.

For a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees, click here.

Graphic of two people social distancing

2. Social Distancing
Social distancing should be practiced at all times. In the limited instances where social distancing is not possible, a face covering must be worn. Read more.

For a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees, click here.

Graphic of a paper survey

3. Wellness Screening
All employees must complete a wellness screening before reporting to on-site work. The form should be answered truthfully, as your responses will determine whether or not you are cleared to come into work. Read more.

For a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees, click here.

Graphic of cleaning supplies
Graphic of semi-truck
Graphic of person lying in bed sick

4. Cleaning of Personal & Shared Workspaces
The General Services Department will be thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting common areas and surfaces, but employees are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting their personal work areas and equipment. Read more.

For a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees, click here.

5. Sharing Vehicles
No more than two individuals are permitted to share a City vehicle at one time. When sharing a vehicle, masks must be worn at all times. Read more.

For a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees, click here.

6. Illness
Employees should stay at home if they are feeling ill, even with symptoms unrelated to COVID-19. Read more.

For a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees, click here.

Graphic of calendar with date checked off
Graphic of a house with a home office inside
Graphic of a computer monitor

7. Taking Leave
All employees hired before May 1, 2020 have been granted 5 weeks of COVID leave. Relaxed sick leave, federal (FFCRA/FMLA) leave, and shared leave are additional options for eligible employees managing certain COVID-19 related issues. Otherwise, normal leave request procedures should be followed at this time. Read more.

8. Teleworking
Employees are permitted to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic at the discretion of their supervisor and if job requirements allow. Read more.

9. Virtual Collaboration
Microsoft Teams and Zoom are the only TS-sanctioned tools for virtual collaboration. Read more.

Complete Policies & Guidance

Please click through the following tabs to review the City of Durham’s official COVID-19 policies and guidance for employees:

  1. HUMAN Resources
  2. RISK MANAGEMENT
  3. purchasing
  4. Technology Solutions


Policies:

Temporary Employee Wellness

FFCRA Emergency Sick & FMLA Leave

Temporary Shared Leave Donations for School Closures

Note: Fillable PDFs can be completed and signed electronically - no printing required. We recommend opening the form/s in Adobe Acrobat Reader to complete them instead of filling them out directly in your browser (additionally, some browsers do not support fillable PDFs). Click here for additional instructions. The completed form/s should be emailed to HRConnect@DurhamNC.gov.

Temporary Leave & School Closures (NEW VERSION)

Temporary Severe Weather

Overview of Leave Options:

COVID Leave table with timeline version 2

Midday Moment Presentations: 


11/4 Midday Moment: Download all slides (PDF) from the 'COVID-19: City of Durham Data & Workplace Protocols' presentation.

8/26 Midday Moment: Download all slides (PDF) from the 'Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) & Temporary Shared Leave Donations for School Closures Policy' presentation.

7/22 Midday Moment: Download all slides (PDF) from the 'Virtual Learning, Modified Schedules, Daycare Closures & the City of Durham Workforce' presentation.

Temporary HR Policy Timeline

Current Policies

Policy Name
 Effective Date
 Last Updated
 Expiration Date
Temporary Employee Wellness
 March 13, 2020
 July 14, 2020
 December 31, 2020
FFCRA Emergency Sick & FMLA Leave
 April 1, 2020
August 20, 2020
December 31, 2020
Temporary Shared Leave Donations for School Closures
 August 24, 2020
 August 24, 2020
 June 30, 2021
Temporary Leave & School Closures (NEW VERSION)
 August 24, 2020
 August 17, 2020
 June 30, 2021
Temporary Severe Weather
 November 23, 2020
 November 23, 2020
 March 31, 2021

Expired Policies

Policy Name
 Effective Date
 Last Updated
 Expiration Date
Temporary Leave & School Closures (PREVIOUS VERSION)
 March 30, 2020 May 31, 2020 May 31, 2020
Temporary Premium Pay March 30, 2020 June 19, 2020 June 19, 2020
Temporary Personal Travel March 13, 2020 June 30, 2020 June 30, 2020
Temporary Business Travel
 March 13, 2020
 September 30, 2020
 September 30, 2020

Communication With Employees

The City uses a variety of methods to communicate with employees, but this page and the channels below will be the primary means of communication during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Woman typing on laptop computer

City Week

City Week, our weekly employee newsletter, is your best source for reliable, up-to-date communication from the City during COVID-19.

All City of Durham employees are signed up to receive City Week each Monday to their DurhamNC.gov email address. If you are not receiving City Week to your email and would like to, please email Hannah Watts.

You can also sign up to receive City Week by text alert.

Public Affairs Priority Alerts graphic

PAPA

PAPA (Public Affairs Priority Alerts) is the City’s emergency notification system used to provide time-sensitive information and emergency updates to employees, including those related to COVID-19 and its impact on City employees. You can expect to receive PAPA alerts via email, phone, and/or text depending on your personal settings.

To learn more about PAPA view the PAPA How-to Guide (PDF), including how to update your contact information on page 7.

Website Photo 3

Human Resources

Visit Human Resources’ homepage for HR Connect hours, additional HR resources, and more.

Additional Resources

Official Resources button
Working From Home button
Where to get tested button
Return to Work FAQs graphic