Important reminders for cold and flu health and safety on campus
As winter persists, the campus community is urged to prioritize health by monitoring symptoms, practising hygiene, considering masks post-illness, keeping up with vaccinations and accommodating those affected by sickness. Photo: Jae Yang
4 key health and safety tips for cold and flu prevention
Stay home if you are unwell
With winter underway, it is even more important that all community members continue to self-monitor for symptoms and not come to campus if they feel unwell.
Practise good hand and respiratory hygiene
Remember that hand and respiratory hygiene is key to our overall health and wellbeing:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 30 seconds — especially before handling food, after touching your face or shaking someone’s hand.
- Cover your mouth with a tissue when sneezing and coughing. Throw the tissue away and then wash your hands immediately.
- If you do not have a tissue, cough into your upper sleeve or elbow.
Consider wearing a mask if you have been ill
The university continues to be a mask-friendly environment. If you have been ill, we encourage you to consider wearing a mask for a brief period upon return to in-person activities.
Stay up-to-date with vaccinations
The university encourages all community members to be vaccinated as recommended by public health and medical practitioners, including the flu vaccine.
Flexibility with students
As always, we ask faculty to show flexibility with students who are impacted by illness wherever possible.
Faculty and contract lecturer absenteeism due to illness
If faculty or contract lecturers are experiencing mild symptoms of illness but are well enough, willing and able to teach their course(s), they should discuss this with their chair/director and consider temporarily delivering the course remotely/virtually until their conditions improve and they can return to on-campus teaching. The chair/director should make the dean aware of the need to change the mode of delivery.
If a faculty member or contract lecturer cannot attend class due to illness, they should follow normal, pre-pandemic sick leave processes on missing classes, which includes notifying their chair/director and students, and may include cancelling and rescheduling the class.
Staff absenteeism
If an employee is experiencing symptoms, regular sick leave provisions should apply. We ask leaders to be flexible with employees as absences may increase through the winter months.
For more information
We continue to be appreciative of the support of our community in working together to limit the spread of COVID-19 and flu on campus. For more information, visit COVID-19 Information and Updates website.
