LCC Faculty Colleagues,

Many questions have come up regarding air quality and faculty work. Yesterday morning all College employees received a message from one administrator, noting, “To allow employees to proactively assess and manage their own risk, employees currently at work on the Main Campus and downtown may work from home today.” At the end of the day, faculty received a message from another administrator, noting that classes are moving forward, and faculty must use leave time if they do not teach in person due to poor air quality.

Update on leave time for October 10

Please note: the College has confirmed and clarified that faculty do not need to record any leave time if they worked at home instead of on campus yesterday (Monday, October 10). Deans and directors have been informed of this as well.

In addition, please see information below regarding options available to faculty going forward.

Air Quality and Options for Faculty

Faculty who are affected or concerned about being affected by poor air quality have two options for accommodations or flexible workplace accommodations. 

For faculty

• with a medical issue exacerbated by poor air quality:

Faculty may request an ADA accommodation. The form is available at: https://olympic.accessiblelearning.com/LaneCCEMP/ApplicationEmployee.aspx and details on the process are outlined at: https://inside.lanecc.edu/copps/documents/disabilities-accommodating-employees. This process might require medical documentation. The process ensures that HR will engage in an interactive process with the faculty member. Accommodation requests may vary and should be reasonably provided by the College. One example of a situation that might indicate this process is a person with severe asthma might request the option to move their work to a remote format on days when air quality conditions are poor. This process is outlined in #7 of the current COVID MOA and is also governed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Faculty may apply for this type of accommodation at any time now and into the future.

For faculty

• without a medical condition exacerbated by poor air quality but with concerns about the impacts of poor air quality on indoor air, or 
• with an at-risk household member, or
• with general COVID concerns:

Faculty may request a temporary flexible workplace arrangement using this form: https://etcentral.lanecc.edu/#/form/421  One example of a situation that might indicate this process is a person with a concern about poor air quality and its impacts or a person with a concern about insufficient air filtration indoors on campus when air quality is poor but who does not have an individual medical need. This process is a benefit for faculty in #8 of the current  COVID MOA in effect through Spring 2023. Faculty should apply for a flexible workplace arrangement as soon as reasonably possible before assignments for the subsequent term. Faculty may use this process to request remote assignments for the term.

For questions on either of these processes, please contact Heidi Morales in HR.

For questions on these contractual provisions, please contact LCCEA.

For the Association,

Adrienne