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 STATUS Updates for Employees

Employee Work Status

  • Effective March 1, City employees are now permitted to access their office space with prior approval from their Department Director and in accordance with Risk Management's newly-revised COVID-19 Office Protocols (PDF). Please note that the City is still encouraging employees who are able to work from home to continue doing so.
  • City Manager Wanda Page has instructed that any employee whose work location is expected to materially change in the coming days should be provided at least 30 days notice whenever possible. Some exceptions may apply. Employee vaccination status will NOT be a determining factor in return-to-work decisions, either at an individual or an organizational level.

COVID-19 Policies & Guidance

  • Wellness Screenings: Effective May 3, City employees are no longer required to complete a wellness screening before reporting to on-site work. Employees must continue to follow all other guidance and policies detailed on this page.
  • Outdoor Mask Use: Effective April 29, City employees are no longer required to wear a mask while working outdoors. Guidance on indoor mask use has not changed. See Risk Management's newly-revised Guidance on Mask Use (PDF) for more details.
  • All temporary HR policies related to COVID-19 are now set to expire on June 30, 2021.

Vaccines

  • As of March 31, ALL City employees are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. 
  • Regardless of their vaccination status, City employees should continue following all guidance and policies detailed on this page.
Schedule a free walk-in COVID vaccine with Durham County Department of Public Health

This Week in Positive COVID-19 Cases & Quarantines at City of Durham

209 total positive COVID-19 cases at the City since March 2020 as of May 10, 2021
3 new positive COVID-19 cases at the City in May as of May 10, 2021.
Number of quarantined City employees at the beginning of each week. 12 for week of May 10, 2021.

City Updates

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Latest State Executive Order button

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

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1. Face Coverings & Masks (Updated 04/29/21)
While indoors (either at a City worksite or out in the community), employees must wear an approved face covering at all times, unless they are alone in a closed office. Employees do not have to wear a mask while working outdoors. Read more about guidance for face covering and mask use (PDF).

View a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees (PDF). Failure to follow these protocols could result in disciplinary action under the revised Safety Program policy (PDF).

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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 about social distancing guidelines (PDF).

View a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees (PDF). Failure to follow these protocols could result in disciplinary action under the revised Safety Program policy (PDF).

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3. Illness
Employees should stay at home if they are feeling ill, even with symptoms unrelated to COVID-19. Read more about our temporary employee wellness policy (PDF).

View a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees (PDF). Failure to follow these protocols could result in disciplinary action under the revised Safety Program policy (PDF).

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 about employee cleaning protocols (PDF).

View a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees (PDF). Failure to follow these protocols could result in disciplinary action under the revised Safety Program policy (PDF).

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5. Sharing Vehicles (Updated 03/25/21)
Effective April 1, departments will no longer be restricted to just two people per City vehicle. When sharing a vehicle, masks must be worn at all times. Read more about guidelines for sharing a vehicle (PDF).

View a comprehensive overview of all workplace protocols for on-site employees (PDF). Failure to follow these protocols could result in disciplinary action under the revised Safety Program policy (PDF).

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6. Taking Leave
All employees hired before May 1, 2020 have been granted 5 weeks of COVID leave. Relaxed sick 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 about leave policies (PDF).

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7. Teleworking
Employees are permitted to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic at the discretion of their supervisor and if job requirements allow. Read more about guidelines for teleworking (PDF).

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8. Virtual Collaboration
Microsoft Teams and Zoom are the only TS-sanctioned tools for virtual collaboration. Read more about guidelines for virtual collaboration (PDF).

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 (PDF)

Temporary Shared Leave Donations for School Closures (PDF)

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 (PDF)

Temporary Severe Weather (PDF)

Overview of Leave Options:

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Midday Moment Presentations: 


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

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

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

Temporary HR Policy Timeline

Current Policies

Policy Name
 Effective Date
 Last Updated
 Expiration Date
Temporary Employee Wellness (PDF)
 March 13, 2020
 March 25, 2021
 June 30, 2021
Temporary Shared Leave Donations for School Closures (PDF)
 August 24, 2020
 March 25, 2021
 June 30, 2021
Temporary Leave & School Closures (PDF) (NEW VERSION)
 August 24, 2020
 March 25, 2021
 June 30, 2021
Temporary Severe Weather (PDF)
 November 23, 2020
 March 25, 2021
 June 30, 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
FFCRA Emergency Sick & FMLA Leave
 April 1, 2020
 December 31, 2020
 December 31, 2020

City Employees & the COVID-19 Vaccine

All City employees are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID vaccine is not mandatory for employees at this time, but the City is encouraging all employees to get vaccinated if they are willing and able to do so.

COVID-19 Vaccine Employee FAQs

  1. Am I Eligible?
  2. Other FAQs

Yes! ALL City of Durham employees are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

On March 31, Group 4 vaccination opened up to "other" essential workers. Any City employee who was not previously eligible for vaccination under Groups 1, 2, or 3 would be considered an essential worker and would therefore be eligible for Group 4 vaccination.

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

Link to vaccinefinder.org
Link to find a Vaccine Location on NC.gov
Link to vaccine information on CDC.gov
Link to Vaccine information on NCDHHS.gov
Link to Vaccine information on DCoPublicHealth.org


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:

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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.

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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.

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Human Resources

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

Additional Resources

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