Yes. In some instances, if you teach a subject where seeing your entire face would benefit the learning process (for example, speech and language), you will be given a face shield to use as long as you can safely social distance.

Acceptable face coverings: cloth masks, gaiters, bandanas, and disposable paper masks.

No, assuming your child’s school or childcare facility is open, you cannot take off work to watch them because you are not comfortable sending them. As schools come out with their back-to-school COVID plans, each parent (including teachers and other school employees with children) will need to assess how they feel about sending their own children back.

Selecting distance learning for your child does not qualify for an employee staying home and utilizing the emergency FMLA if the school district offers an in-person option for students.

Yes, schools are allowed to conduct basic screenings of their employees. Pursuant to the EEOC’s guidance, employers may screen their employees regarding COVID-19, so long as employers treat all employees uniformly and protect the confidentiality of the screening results. Questions must be related to COVID-19. Screening can include asking employees if they are experiencing symptoms, taking their temperatures, and even requiring they be tested.

No. Notification of individuals who have been in "close contact" with an individual who has tested positive will be handled by the district.

Human Resources has been contacting our substitutes to confirm if they will be willing to return with the precautions in our plan so we have an accurate count. 

Certified staff will be paid if they cover a class during their plan time.

No, if the school is closed and employees are not able to report, they should not be forced to use sick time. Assuming the employee is “ready and willing to work” but for the closure, we believe the district is required to pay contracted employees per their contract. Non-contracted employees, depending on circumstances, may not be paid during a school closure per federal Department of Labor guidelines. 

School districts could use the Missouri statutory Reduction in Force process to furlough contracted employees during a school year. While nearly all teachers have a contract with the school district, there are ways to put employees on unrequested leave of absence during the school year.

While operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, the District may determine an employee who is directly exposed and otherwise able to perform their essential duties on-site may be required to perform their duties while quarantined offsite on a short term basis. For quarantined employees exposed to the novel coronavirus or any employee experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms and/ or unable to work while recovering from the virus or who have children directly exposed the Families First CoronaVirus Response Act may apply.

No, if you are able to teach from home despite being on leave, you will not be charged with leave. 

If you opt to return to work before your medical FMLA is exhausted, you will need to provide a medical release from your doctor stating you are released to work virtually.

Most likely, no.

Generally, a regular disease that the general public is exposed to is not covered under the occupational disease category. So while occupational diseases are typically covered by workers’ compensation, diseases such as influenza, common colds, and MRSA are not covered. This holds true even if the worker is a healthcare worker. These diseases can be contracted in infinite places, not necessarily at the worker’s place of employment. Workers’ compensation cases involving COVID-19 will likely only be compensable if the worker is in the healthcare field and has been specifically exposed to the virus.

Possibly, depending on the severity of the symptoms you have. As always, an employee qualifies for FMLA if they have a serious health condition as defined in the Act. Unless you have complications from having COVID-19 that require continuing medical treatment and/or in-patient care, you will likely not qualify for FMLA.

The first step is to contact your healthcare provider and discuss these concerns with them. Your medical provider will determine whether or not your condition requires quarantine, or if it’s safe for you to return to the workplace. With a written recommendation from your healthcare provider, you may qualify for paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The quarantine recommendation will get you up to 80 hours of paid sick leave.

Once you have used your eligible hours, the new law does not provide protection. It is possible you might qualify for leave under the traditional Family and Medical Leave Act or for a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

If you are getting paid while out on leave, there will be no impact on your retirement benefits.

12/18/2020: Please refer to the District's Expanded COVID-19 Emergency Leave document for additional information.

No, unfortunately, you do not. Pregnancy alone does not put you in a high-risk category. If you have complications from your pregnancy, resulting in a doctor-recommended quarantine, you may be eligible for leave rights mentioned above.

No, while employers are usually required to accommodate employees on a variety of levels, this does not extend to other individuals the employee knows or lives with. People who live with high-risk individuals should take extra precautions and consider staying at home altogether if they don’t feel the work environment is safe.

An employee can return to work when the criteria below has been met:

• Fourteen days (14) after most recent exposure
• Two (2) consecutive, negative COVID-19 tests administered at least 24 hours with the second administered fourteen (14) days or later.

It’s possible you might have to use your sick days if you’re out because you have COVID-19. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides employees up to 80 hours of paid sick leave at the employee’s regular rate of pay where the employee is unable to work because the employee is quarantined pursuant to federal, state, or local government ordinance or advice of a health care provider, and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis. The 80 hours provided by federal law are in addition to your accumulated leave with the district and must be exhausted before turning to your accrued leave. Therefore, while your district can require you to use any accrued leave while you’re out, they cannot do so until you have exhausted this federal benefit. At that point, the district sick leave policy will control when and how your days will be used.

BSD will follow the protocol outlined in this process in which the student, the teacher, and classmates of the individual who were within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes will undergo a 14-day period of quarantine.

During that time, those students will be considered on Plan D: Distance Learning for all.

Analyzing a teacher’s liability for a COVID spread in their classroom is similar to any other event taking place in the classroom. As the teacher and adult in the room, it is important you are monitoring the students at all times and enforcing school rules and codes of conduct. Teachers will be responsible for enforcing any COVID guidelines the Belton School District creates for this upcoming school year.

That being said, kids will be kids and unexpected events will occur in the classroom that we are unable to stop. While we cannot reduce a teacher’s liability to zero, actively monitoring the students and enforcing the rules given to you by the school are good ways to keep your liability to a minimum.

Yes. The Belton School District offers an Employee Assistance Program as part of your benefits package.