Important information for RIT employees planning to travel to another state

Dear Colleagues,

Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, together with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut, announced an executive order implementing COVID-19 restrictions on travel. Under these restrictions, most individuals who spend more than 24 hours in a “restricted state” must quarantine for fourteen (14) days upon their return to New York state.

The list of restricted states will change based on the rates of positive COVID-19 test results in other states. As of July 2, 2020, the Executive Order applies to travel to and from the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. The list is expected to be updated weekly.

If an RIT employee is required to quarantine as a result of their personal, non-RIT travel to a state on the restricted list, the employee will not be eligible for New York State’s COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave under this executive order. Employees should work with their supervisor to determine which of the following alternatives are appropriate for their situation:

• If the supervisor agrees and the employee is able to work from home during the quarantine period, they may do so and will be paid based on their schedule.
• If the employee’s position cannot be performed from home, the employee may utilize vacation pay or sick/personal time (non-exempt employees) if they wish to be paid during the quarantine period.  An employee may also chose to take the time off without pay. Please note that “approved with pay” is not applicable under these circumstances. 

If you have questions, please direct them to benefits@rit.edu. Thank you.

Renee Brownstein
Associate Director Human Resources - Benefits