FSU employee memo about childcare raises concerns by faculty

The memo, which was released Friday, indicated employees would no longer be able to care for children at home while still working remotely starting August 7.
Published: Jun. 29, 2020 at 10:42 PM EDT
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - Some Florida State faculty raised questions after administration released a memo about how the transition from remote working would play out in regards to childcare.

The memo, which was released Friday, indicated employees would no longer be able to care for children at home while still working remotely starting August 7.

FSU Remote Work Memo from 6/27
FSU Remote Work Memo from 6/27(Florida State University)

That requirement is a normal part of the university’s teleworker policy, but had been waved during the pandemic, when nearly every employee was forced to stay at home.

Professor Matthew Lata is the President of UFF-FSU, the union that represents faculty. He said school leaders should rethink the idea.

“As long as parents can accomplish their duties from home, it shouldn’t matter if their children are under the same roof or not,” he said.

“For whatever reason, they might want the children to stay home. There might be an elderly parent who lives there. There might be other health issues they don’t wish to reveal.”

On Monday, Vice President for Human Resources Renisha Gibbs sent out an updated memo. It included a more detailed breakdown of current FSU policy and how it was applied during the pandemic.

The memo explained that Leon County schools should be open by then, along with daycares and other childcare options. If local schools scale back reopening plans, the university would reconsider its policies.

Read a segment of Monday’s memo below.

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