FAQs

DC 37 Member Information Sheet April 3, 2020

Click here to see the updated City Leave Policy, updated May 5, 2020.

1)    What do I do if I am 70 years old or have a compromised immune system?

  • Matilda’s Law: If you are 70 or over, or have an underlying health condition, if possible, you should not go to work and you should not leave your home unless you are alone and stay away from other people. Call the Department for the Aging or 311 for resources.
  • You may be able to use up to two weeks of excused sick leave through the Federal Cares Act.
  • You may have to use your own sick leave in order to stay home beyond 14 days if your agency has not designated you to work at home.

2)    What do I do if I am designated Essential Personnel?

  • If you are a first responder, a Health and Hospitals employee, or designated Essential by your agency, you must report to work. In some cases you will be able to telework.

3)    If you are sick with COVID-19 (Positive for COVID-19 or Symptomatic)

Essential Personnel

  • If you have been exposed or if you have tested positive you must report to work unless you are symptomatic. Symptoms include fever of 100.4 or more, cough and shortness of breath and/or sore throat.
  • If you develop symptoms, call your doctor, preferably using a Telehealth option below.  Do not return to work until you’ve had no symptoms for 7 days and are cleared by your employee health services.
  • A doctor’s note, including a telehealth visit, is sufficient documentation of symptoms of COVID for quarantine. See below for Telehealth info.
  • Attach DOH rules for return to work, continue to work when exposed or test positive.

Self-quarantine

  • If you choose to self-quarantine without symptoms or a doctor’s note you are using your own leave.
  • If you are sick or are required to quarantine, you may take up to 14 days without charge to your leave balance.

4)    What if I am designated Non-Essential Personnel? 

  • You may be assigned work to do from home, which may include phone calls, accessing files through computer, project based work or other reasonable tasks. You must check in every day, using citytime or other timekeeping as directed. 
  • If you are sick, at home and not able to work you must follow the same procedures as above and provide documentation of telehealth visit. 

5)    What do I do if my children are at home and sick with COVID-19?

  • You are entitled to use up to 14 days paid sick leave NOT from your leave balance to care for your children.

6)    What if my children are at home but not sick? I am not able to work with them at home or report to a location.        

Paid Family Leave Expansion

Effective April 2, employees who have minor children, under age 18 whose school is closed may apply for Paid Family Leave under the Federal Cares Act expansion rules. Therefore staff who would otherwise be required to report to a location and who cannot use the REC centers may apply for Paid Family Leave, which provides a partial paycheck and continuation of health insurance, job security. (source: See Section 4 A & B attached updated City Leave Policy)

NOTE : Staff who live outside of NYC can not use REC centers for child care. Health Care Providers may not access this leave. Some situations may have to be on a case by case basis.

How to Access Telehealth

  • EmblemHealth: Call 800-TELA-DOC (800-835-2362) or click here.

HIP/ADVANTAGE Care

Prepared by the Department of Research and Negotiations, District Council 37, AFSCME, April 2020.