Information for Employees: Labor and employment law regulations as of January 11, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

First of all, I would like to wish you all good luck, good health and good stamina for the new year. We will continue to face significant challenges in the new year as we all continue to deal with the Corona pandemic.

As you all know, the regulations promulgated last December to take precautions against further spread of the corona virus not only remain in place beyond January 10, but are being further tightened against the backdrop of an increasing threat from mutated variants of the virus. Detailed information on the federal-state decision and its implementation in the Lower Saxony Corona Ordinance can be found here:
https://www.niedersachsen.de/Coronavirus
https://www.niedersachsen.de/Coronavirus/vorschriften-der-landesregierung-185856.html

For our university operations, the new regulations do not result in any immediate changes compared to the previously applicable regulations. All of our regulations regarding infection control and hygiene measures will continue to apply unchanged. The members of the President's Office urge you to continue to adhere strictly to these rules, as this is the only way we can succeed in further containing the number of infections.

However, the extended closure of schools and the emergency operation for childcare in daycare centers will sometimes pose special problems for the parents among you. To make it easier for you to combine childcare and work, the Executive Board has therefore decided to reinstate the regulations on trust-based working hours for home office work that were already introduced on a temporary basis last year.

Employees with minor children up to the age of 14 or dependents in care facilities who require greater flexibility in the organization of their working hours due to the closure of kindergartens, crèches or schools, etc., or due to a reduction in the availability of care (e.g. alternating classes), but who can in principle perform the full scope of their activities and tasks from the home office, thus have the option of submitting an application for trust-based working time to the HR service via their superiors and with their superiors' consent (also by mail). This means that the focus is on the results-oriented completion of tasks. These employees are credited in full with the target working time per day in their working time accounts, even if this was not performed in one piece. Time recording in the electronic time recording system is not required in these cases.

In addition, federal and state governments have decided to grant child sick pay for 10 additional days per parent (20 additional days for single parents) in 2021. This is also to apply in cases where care for the child at home becomes necessary because the school or kindergarten or class or group is closed due to the pandemic, or compulsory attendance at classes has been suspended or access to childcare services has been restricted. However, we do not have more detailed information on implementation at this time. Please contact our Human Resources Services with any questions regarding this matter.

An updated version of the pandemic-related employment or service regulations currently in effect, as well as all other University regulations for dealing with the Corona pandemic, can be found attached.

You will soon receive a separate letter from the President's Office regarding plans for the upcoming summer semester. Once again, we are preparing for a largely digital semester.

On behalf of all members of the Presidential Board, I would like to thank you once again for all your efforts to continue to maintain university operations as best as possible in the current situation and thus to continue to make research, teaching and study possible for our scientists and students.

With kind regards
Christian Brei
Executive Vice President