The Office of the Chancellor has released guidelines for employees returning to work from the holiday break. The guidelines—part of Memorandum FRM-21-174—were shared by the Diliman Information Office on UP Diliman’s official website last December 31, 2021.
The notice is UP Diliman’s response to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. It serves as a preventive measure not only for the UP Diliman community but also as a protection for their families from possible infection.
Through the memo, Chancellor Fidel R. Nemenzo encourages all units prepare work from home or other alternative work arrangements for all staff from January 3 to January 5, 2022. However, staff of essential offices may be asked to physically report for work as early as January 4, 2022, if said staff did not go out of town between December 19, 2021 and January 2, 2022.
Attached in the letter was a two-page updated University’s Guidelines with new protocols from the UP Diliman COVID-19 Task Force and three appendices. Appendix A is a ‘Return To Work Form’, which consists of Self-Certification and Return To Work Assessment.
Self-Certification or part 1 of the form is to be submitted by the UP Diliman employee after filling out personal details, travel details, and activities and social interactions. Return To Work Assessment or Part 2 is to be completed by Post-ECQ Team or Health Liaison Officer, where the staff may be given ‘Quarantine and Clearance’ and a “Return to Work Order”.
Appendix B is a ‘Risk Assessment Form’ or ‘Risk Scoring Matrix’ which according to UP Diliman COVID-19 Task Force serves as a guide in assessing the pre- and post-travel risks of the staff.
Appendix C is the ‘Scoring System and Recommendations, where the personnel will be categorized as low risk, medium risk, high risk or very high risk with suggested work arrangements. DZUP