• What if an employee comes into work with symptoms similar to COVID-19? 
  • The employee's manager should instruct the employee to return home and call the VCU COVID hotline at 1-804-MYC-OVID (1-804-692-6843). If the employee with Covid symptoms does not leave the work area, contact your manager or your HR Professional about your concerns.

• What do I do if I’m concerned about another employee’s health status? 
• Speak with your manager or your HR Professional about your concerns. Do not confront the employee on your own.

• How should managers advise employees who have recently traveled and may have been exposed to COVID-19?
• Please refer employees to the VCU COVID hotline 1-804-MYC-OVID (1-804-692-6843) where the call will be routed to Employee Health Services. Learn more at One VCU: Better Together.

• What happens to my benefits during this time?
  • Employee benefits for Faculty members, University and Academic Professionals, and classified employees continue automatically while employees continue to work (on campus or teleworking), are on paid leave, or are receiving short-term disability benefits. In the event of unpaid leave, covered employees are required to remit health plan premiums in order to continue health coverage. No retirement contributions are made during unpaid leave since there is no creditable salary; however, Virginia Retirement System members may purchase retirement service credit for periods of unpaid leave covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

• Will the COVA employee health plans cover the cost of COVID-19 testing?
  • Refer to guidance from DHRM.

• Do the COVA health plans have any special coverage for COVID-19?
  • COVID-19 testing is covered by the COVA health plans with no out-of-pocket cost when medically necessary and ordered by an authorized provider. In addition, to avoid in-person office visits and possible exposure to COVID-19, the out-of-pocket cost for any virtual medical visit is waived for COVA Care and COVA HealthAware through December 31. This includes LiveHealth Online (Anthem), Teladoc (Aetna) and other providers who offer virtual visits. For the COVA High Deductible Health Plan, the $0 cost applies only to COVID-19-related virtual visits through December 31. The COVA plans are also offering early prescription refills for a limited time. See important details and keep up with any changes by reviewing the Your State Health Plans and COVID-19 Update on the DHRM website.

• Can I use funds from my health flexible spending account (FSA) to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE)?
  • Expenses for masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers (not including cleaning products of any kind) are currently eligible for reimbursement from a health FSA.  Since approval of PPE expenses is temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FSA debit card cannot be used at most retailers for these items and participants will generally need to file claims. For more information on submitting claims for PPE expenses, visit www.payflex.com or contact PayFlex at (855) 516-8595.

• Can I change my flexible spending account (FSA) election if my planned dependent care expenses are changing due to COVID-19? 
  
  • For dependent care FSAs, contribution election changes are permitted when you experience a change in dependent care costs or coverage, including changes due to the closure of a program. See the DHRM webiste for more details.

• Can I take a loan or withdrawal from my retirement plan for unanticipated financial needs due to COVID-19?
  • Hardship withdrawals, in-service withdrawals over age 59½, and loans are available from the VCU 403(b) Tax Defferred Annuity Plan for non-COVID-19 related reasons. To initiate a loan or withdrawal, contact your account provider (TIAA and/or Fidelity Investments) directly. No VCU authorization is required. Loans and withdrawals are not available from the VCU Optional Retirement Plan, the VCU Cash Match Plan, or the Virginia Retirement System Defined Benefit Plans (VRS Plans 1 & 2, VaLORS Plans 1 & 2).For information about in-service withdrawals from the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP), the Virginia 401(a) Cash Match Plan, and/or the VRS Hybrid 457, contact VRS Defined Contribution Plans customer service at 1-877-327-5261.

• If I am quarantined, or become infected with COVID-19, what rules apply to the privacy of this information?
  • As your employer, VCU may ask you for a doctor’s note or other health information as needed for administering leave, worker’s compensation, or disability benefits. For additional information, see “Employers and Health Information in the Workplace” at The US Department of Health and Human Services website. If you participate in state employee health coverage, please see the State Health Benefits Program’s HIPAA Employee/Retiree Privacy Notice.

• I am experiencing stress or anxiety around COVID-19. Who can I talk to?
  • If you participate in state employee health plan with Anthem (COVA Care, COVA High Deductible Health Plan), Aetna (COVA HealthAware), Optima Health (Optima Health Vantage), or Kaiser Permanente (Kaiser Permanente HMO), you may speak with a counselor by contacting your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP covers up to four consultations at no cost. Telephone and telemedicine services are available. EAP benefits also extend to your family members. 
  • If you do not participate in a state employee health plan, you can still access the online resources of the Anthem EAP by using the employer name “Commonwealth of Virginia” to log in, or access online self-help resources available through University Counseling Services. You may also consult your local Community Services Board for assistance in accessing resources. The listing of Community Service Boards is available on the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services website. 

• I am an HR Professional or Department Head at VCU and need to request on-site counseling for employees in my department due to COVID-19 related issues.
  • Contact VCU Human Resources at (804) 828-1521 or worklife@vcu.edu to request Critical Incident Response services from the statewide Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Is there a hotline for mental health support?
  • Visit Mental Health Association of Virginia anonymous support line to learn more.

Mental health training for leaders

A virtual mental health training "Creating and Fostering Healthy Work Environments" is now available. This training, designed for VCU leadership yet open to anyone, will explore mental health topics, characteristics of a healthy work environment, and mental health tools for managers and employees. Participants will learn how to address and reduce stigmas related to mental health conditions. Register in Talent@VCU. 

Employee Assistance Program 

All health plans offered to state employees and their dependents have employee assistance programs (EAPs).  Included are up to four sessions at no charge for such services as mental health, alcohol or drug abuse  assessment, child or elder care, grief counseling and legal or financial services. EAP counselors are available  to assist employees with problems related to:  

• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Family
• Gambling
• Health
• Legal
• Financial
• Housing
• Mental health
• Child care
• Elder care  
• Grief
• Spousal/child/parent abuse
• Workplace
• Career planning
• Retirement  

In general, care must be authorized in advance. You or your eligible dependent will speak to an EAP specialist  who will assess your problem and coordinate assistance. Should your problem require mental health or  substance abuse care, you will be referred to a provider, under your mental health and substance abuse  benefit. Your EAP specialist or care manager will arrange a referral according to your specific needs. Contact your plan's Member Services department for more information.  

COVA Care and COVA HDHP resources

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Member Services: 1-855-223-9277
www.anthemeap.com

COVA HealthAware
Aetna 1-888-238-6232
www.covahealthaware.com

Kaiser Permanente HMO
(866) 517-7042 (toll free)
http://www.achievesolutions.net/kaiser

Optima Health Vantage HMO
(866) 846-2682 (toll free)
https://www.optimahealth.com

Other resources

VCU Human Resources Employee Relations
Lindsey House - HR Welcome Center
Phone: (804) 828-1510
TDD: (800) 828-1120
Email: emprel@vcu.edu

VCU Benefits
Phone: (804) 827-1723
TDD: (800) 828-1120
Email: benefits@vcu.edu

VCU Leave
Phone: (804) 828-1712
Email: leave@vcu.edu

VCU ADA Services
Crystal Coombes, University Accessibility Administrator
Phone: (804) 828-8532
Email: cccoombes@vcu.edu

Emergency Medical Services
Dial 911

University Police
(804) 828-1196

University Counseling Services
www.counseling.vcu.edu
Employees can access online self-help resources 

VCU Center for Psychological Services & Development
612 N Lombardy St, Richmond, VA 23284
(804) 828-8069
www.cpsd.vcu.edu
Offer outpatient services to members of the VCU and Central Virginia communities 

Mental Health Association of Virginia
877-349-6428 

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Development Services
(804) 786-3921 
http://dbhds.virginia.gov/community-services-boards-csbs 

National Alliance on Mental Illness 
1-800-950-NAMI (6264) 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Office on Women’s Health Helpline
1-800-994-9662

For information regarding parking and transportation at VCU, visit the COVID-19 Parking and Transportation updates page.

• FCC agreement: Providers will waive late fees, provide open hot-spots and will not disconnect service for lack of payment.
• Comcast COVID-19 response: Offering free WiFi for two months to K-12 and higher education students. All Xfinity hot-spots are free to the public during this time.
• AT&T COVID-19 response: Offering open hot-spots, unlimited data to existing customers, and $10/month plans to low-income families.
• Verizon COVID-19 response: Offering free international calling to most countries. Customers should call to receive temporary plan upgrades, including data options. 
• Sprint COVID-19 response: Offering unlimited data to existing customers and allowing all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
• T-Mobile COVID-19 response: Offering unlimited data to existing customers, and, coming soon, will allow all handsets to enable hot-spots for 60 days at no extra charge.
• Charter Free Internet offer for 2 months: Offering free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription and at any service level up to 100 Mbps. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees will be waived for new student households.

• Am I eligible for unemployment?
  • The Virginia Employment Commission determines an individual’s eligibility for any/all unemployment benefits. However, you may be eligible if you are a VCU employee and you become unemployed through no fault of your own or if you are working fewer hours than you were previously due to a lack of work. 

• How do I apply for unemployment?
  • Individuals should apply for unemployment benefits through the Virginia Employment Commission to determine if they are eligible. When completing the application be sure to give complete and correct information to ensure that your claim is not delayed.

• Do I need a note from my department stating that I am not working?
  • As individuals are applying for unemployment benefits through the Virginia Employment Commission they may be asked to provide supplemental documentation showing a lack of work. If a department has sent out communication, advising individuals not to report for duty, this can be used as documentation.
  • If this information was communicated in a way other than in writing, the individual can apply for unemployment without supplemental documentation. The Virginia Employment Commission will ask VCU to confirm that an individual is not working, or working a reduced schedule. VCU is completing all of these requests promptly. 

• When will I start receiving payments?
  • All payments are handled and dispersed by the Virginia Employment Commission. Due to a high volume of requests the Virginia Employment Commission may take longer to process these requests. It is recommended that you apply for unemployment benefits as soon as you are made aware of complete unemployment, or a reduction in hours. The Virginia Employment Commission has attempted to make applying for benefits easier by waiving the waiting period and by not requiring any job search when filing for unemployment benefits.
  • Once approved for unemployment benefits it is important to remain responsive to the Virginia Employment Commission. You must submit information to them each week to ‘continue a claim’. For more information on this process you will need to review the information available on the VEC website.