Source: https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/coronavirus/guidelines-and-recommendations
Timestamp: 2020-04-04 04:12:16
Document Index: 82710678

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 33', '§ 45', '§ 67', '§ 56', '§ 67', '§ 9', '§ 67']

Uni Kiel: Guidelines & recommendations
Business trips & stays abroad, residence permit & visa
Obligations, home office etc.
Guidelines and recommendations for CAU members
According to information provided by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the highest risk is in the affected areas. These are (as of April 3):
Since March 31, the RKI no longer designates any particularly affected areas in Germany, as COVID-19 is now widespread throughout Germany. In many districts there are outbreaks, some with large case numbers.
Instructions on restrictions for travellers returning
Extended instructions on restrictions for travellers returning
By her decret from 24 March 2020 the State Chancellery has decreed that all returning travellers from the State Administration must now ensure their 14-day quarantine in a self-imposed isolation at home and should not turn up at the workplace or get in personal contact with their colleagues. Accordingly, it now makes no difference whether the country concerned has been classified as a high-risk area or particularly affected area or not.
The duration of this measure is initially limited until 19 April 2020.
Working from home options should, of course, be utilised during the 14-day quarantine. The home office regulations can be found under "What does "home office" mean and what applies if I cannot perform my work at all or only to a limited extent in my home office?"
The following instructions on restrictions also applies for travellers returning from risk areas:
The Ministry of Health of the state of Schleswig-Holstein as well as the city of Kiel have ordered:
Persons who in the last 14 days have been in a risk area or a particularly affected area, as currently determined by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI, German only), may not enter the following institutions for a period of 14 days after their return from the risk area or particularly affected area:
a) Facilities pursuant to § 33 nos. 1 to 4 IfSG (day care facilities and day nurseries, day care centres requiring a permit, schools and homes where the majority of minors are cared for) as well as facilities licensed for operation pursuant to § 45 SGB VIII (inpatient educational assistance),
(b) institutions pursuant to Section 23(3)(1) and (3) to (5) IfSG (hospitals, preventive care and rehabilitation institutions providing medical care comparable to that provided by hospitals, dialysis institutions, day clinics); persons in need of treatment shall be exempted from the prohibition on entry,
c) in-patient care and integration assistance facilities in accordance with the Self-Determination Strengthening Act (SbStG), with the exception of persons in need of care,
d) vocational schools,
e) all state and state-recognised higher education institutions in the Land in accordance with section 1 of the Act on Higher Education; and
f) all other public bodies.
It is sufficient that the relevant determination of the areas by the RKI takes place within the 14-day period.
In addition to these instructions, the following general recommendations apply: Travellers returning from risk areas (as determined by the RKI) and particularly affected areas (as determined by the RKI) should stay at home if possible, and if they experience any symptoms of a cold, they should call 116117 to get advice on whether a diagnostic evaluation is recommended. (Please stay in line, until the German voice message is over, you will be connected with a member of the staff.)
There are companies in which employees may work from home. At the moment, this can be a sensible alternative for returning travellers in order to reduce the risk of potentially passing on the disease.
Also, in principle, visits to relatives in hospitals and nursing/elderly care facilities should currently be avoided as far as possible in order to minimise the risk of infection. This restriction also helps to make sure that the limited resources of protective clothing are used where they are needed most, namely for providing health and medical care.
Is the employer entitled to request information and send employees home as a precaution?
Yes. The employer is entitled to ask whether an ill employee has been in a risk area. If an employee returns from a risk area, the employer may - as a safety precaution - instruct the employee to stay at home for a few days in order to exclude a possible infection. The remuneration will continue to be paid during this time.
When can a trip be cancelled free of charge?
Although travel providers often offer free cancellation if there is a travel warning, they are not legally obliged to do so for this reason alone. Customers may cancel their travel free of charge if "unavoidable and exceptional circumstances" arise at their holiday destination or in the immediate vicinity which significantly inhibit the carrying out of package tours or the transport of passengers to the destination.
Generally speaking, case law assumes that these conditions exist if there is a travel warning. But these conditions may also exist even without a travel warning, and thus permit free cancellation. Ultimately, the decisive factor is not the travel warning issued by the Foreign Office, but the legal question of whether exceptional and unavoidable circumstances exist.
Those who do not want to undertake a trip should contact their travel agency or tour operator. In addition to alternatives such as re-booking, you can also discuss the possibility of getting a free cancellation on a goodwill basis. Overall, it should be noted that the question of whether a trip may be cancelled free of charge or not is a complex travel law matter that cannot be answered on this page.
Which rules apply to students for stays abroad?
If students, teachers or other employees are in affected regions with the support of the Erasmus+ programme (all lines of funding), then any costs arising or already incurred due to changes in the travel plans of affected persons are regarded as "force majeure" and are thus fully refundable. Affected regions are those designated as such by the respective national authorities, so in Germany those on the list of the RKI (German only) and/or the Foreign Office (German only).
For the assessment of the situation and the planning of further steps, all travel information on the pages of the Federal Foreign Office on the coronavirus, both the travel warnings and the stricter entry regulations for travellers from Germany to numerous destination countries, must be observed and documented in detail. More and more countries are imposing entry and quarantine regulations, in some cases even entry bans for travellers from Germany.
Other stays abroad:
Stays in the risk areas are strongly discouraged. Some of the partner universities there are currently closed anyway. Further developments should be awaited regarding planned visits, for example those which should begin in the autumn. Flight bookings etc. should not be made yet. The colleagues at the International Center are available to help with any other questions.
Worldwide travel warning: Recall campaign
Information from the Federal Foreign Office for Germans living abroad
If you are abroad as a student or employee, please note the information of the German Foreign Office regarding the worldwide travel warning (German only).
The Federal Foreign Office has launched a recall campaign for Germans abroad. If you wish to leave the country, please contact the German Embassy in the respective country directly.
To support the work of the German Embassy and to receive important information directly from the German Embassy in the respective country or the Federal Foreign Office (e.g. via SMS or e-mail), please register immediately in the ELEFAND system (German only).
The contact details of the German Embassies and further information for and during your stay abroad, e.g. security and country information, can be accessed via the "Sicher reisen" app (German only).
DAAD informs about funding programmes | Information for scholarship holders and applicants
The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) provides important information about programmes and for individual target groups, which is updated regularly. Please keep yourself informed.
Detailed information on the ERASMUS+ programme (all funding lines) is also available (German only).
Can my employer forbid private travel to a risk area?
No, this would be illegal. However, there is a right to ask whether travel has occurred or will occur in a risk area. Please note the current travel restrictions of the state and federal authorities.
My residence permit/visa is expiring. What should I do?
I heard that the Immigration Office is closed to customer traffic until at least April 19, 2020. My residence permit/my visa will expire before this date. How can I get an extension of my residence permit/my visa?
According to Decree No. 1 from the Ministry of the Interior, Rural Areas and Integration dated March 18, 2020, all residence permits and status certificates (such as visas) will keep their validity until a new appointment with the Immigration Office can take place.
If my residence permit/my visa expires before I can get an appointment at the Immigration Office can I stay in Germany legally afterward?
I can’t reach the Immigration Office in Kiel. Are they closed?
Customer traffic at the Immigration Office has been discontinued for the foreseeable future. In urgent cases you can contact the Immigration Office at zuwanderungsabteilung@kiel.de or phone your immigration officer (the number can be found in any communications to you from the Immigration Office)
I have/had an appointment for visa/residence permit extension scheduled with the Immigration Office between March 18 and April 19. Will the appointment take place?
No. All appointments scheduled between March 18 and April 19, 2020 will not take place. After resumption of normal operations the Immigration Office will schedule new appointments but will not be able to satisfy all customers’ needs immediately. However, the validity of residence permits/visas will be extended until an appointment can take place.
How can I schedule an appointment with the Immigration Office for a visa/residence permit extension?
New appointments are not being assigned at present. After resumption of normal operations the Immigration Office will schedule new appointments but will not be able to satisfy all customers’ needs immediately. However, the validity of residence permits/visas will be extended until an appointment can take place.
Accessibility of CAU advice centres
All counselling institutions at the CAU are closed to all members of the public with immediate effect, initially until 19 April 2020. Counselling should take place by phone and by e-mail until further notice. The heads of the affected institutions will ensure adequate availability by phone.
CAU's advisory and service offices
Who must I inform if I'm unable to participate in an examination due to illness or quarantine?
In relation to withdrawal, if quarantine measures are ordered, this is treated as an inability to sit the examination.
Please inform your Examination Office by phone or in writing, and immediately submit a withdrawal form, and discuss how to proceed with your Examination Office. No proof is required for the time being. A reasonable suspicion is thus treated as an illness in terms of Section 23 of the Examination Procedure Regulations (PVO) for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes (the State Examination degree programmes are subject to the provisions of the respective study regulations (German only).
Information from the faculties on individual examinations (German only)
Should I cancel my registrations from exams?
Examination registrations that have already been made remain valid. For students who have already cancelled their registration, there will be a new, separate registration phase, which will be communicated in due course.
What are the rules for the coming exam period?
Examinations are postponed until further notice. Excluded from the regulation are tests without obligatory attendance and individual tests. The faculties determine whether and how individual examinations may take place. Further clarifications on the basis of the decision by the University Board and the deans on 13.03.2020 will be issued separately.
The basis for the restriction of university operations is a decree of the Ministry of Health from March 12 to curb the dynamic development of COVID-19 infections. For the upcoming examination period, only examinations without obligatory attendance (e.g. homework, final papers, etc.) and individual examinations (e.g. oral examinations) can take place.
Information from the faculties on individual examinations can be found here
All other examinations will be postponed until further notice. At the present time, no statement can be made as to when the regular examination schedule can be resumed or when cancelled examinations can be made up for. We will try to minimise the disadvantages arising from this as far as possible. Individual examinations may be replaced by alternative, equivalent forms of examination. You will be informed of this by the responsible authorities.
Different regulations may apply to state examination courses.
What are the deadlines for my term paper?
Term papers and similar papers that can be done from any location. These are examination papers that are usually not postponed. Due to the closure of (departmental) libraries, however, the processing of these examination papers is often only possible to a limited extent. Extensions of time limits can be granted. Please check the websites of the faculties for information on the respective faculty-specific regulations.
Which tests are not affected by the postponement?
Examinations that do not require attendance, as well as examinations that only examine one student, do not have to be postponed. Please check the websites of the faculties for information on the respective regulations.
Are examinations of the state examination courses held?
Since the examinations of the state examination courses are not primarily organised by the university, please enquire about the regulations at the faculty responsible for the respective course, e.g. at the examination office responsible for you.
Do the deadlines change for term papers, essays, final papers and similar written work?
Please check with the faculties for the respective regulations. We ask for your understanding that it is currently not yet possible to predict when the libraries will reopen.
How can the submission of final papers be carried out if the examination offices are only partially occupied?
The main gate is constantly manned, so that theses and so on can be handed in on time here.
In order to adhere to a deadline, theses can also be submitted to the relevant Examination Office as a PDF file via stu-Mail, as long as it is not possible to print and bind the theses because the copy shops are closed. The prescribed type and number of printed and bound copies are to be submitted later, as soon as this becomes possible again. The digital file submitted before the deadline must be identical to the printed and bound copy handed in later.
How will attendance lectures of the summer semester 2020 be dealt with?
According to a decree of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, all classroom teaching is to be prohibited until April 19, 2020.
In the case of suitable course types, digital teaching/learning formats, accompanied self-study or similar will be used wherever possible to compensate the loss of classroom lectures as far as possible.
Recognising internships
Please find out about the conditions for recognising discontinued internships from the faculty responsible.
What are the regulations for the preliminary Master enrolment?
Regulations for the preliminary Master enrolment are currently being worked on. An extension of the deadline for the proof of passing the Bachelor examination is being discussed. We will inform you here as soon as a regulation has been decided.
Who cancels events at the university because of a risk of infection, and when?
Who cancels events, conferences, meetings or congresses at the university because of a risk of infection, and when?
If an institution has already been closed, then holding meetings, etc. is not permitted. Irrespective of this, a meeting should be cancelled if specific circumstances exist which justify a risk of infection. If there is no specific risk of infection, the decision as to whether an event should be cancelled lies with the (internal) organisers. The university’s crisis coordinator provides assistance with making the decision.
Who has the right to close the university due to disease spreading in the region?
The responsibility lies with the state authorities responsible for implementation of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). The legal basis for intervention measures includes, in particular, Sections 16, 28 et seqq. of the Infection Protection Act. When applying these, the principle of proportionality must be observed. In addition, the states may use statutory instruments (decrees) for further bans and prohibitions to fight against communicable diseases (paragraph 32 of the Infection Protection Act (German only)).
Irrespective of this, the President of the university, as the holder of the domiciliary rights, is responsible for safety at the university. This also includes health protection. In the event of a specific risk, the closure of the university is also possible on this basis.
May researchers continue their research activities even if their research institutions are closed?
If a scientific institution is closed on the basis of the Infection Protection Act (German only) by order of the competent authorities, or by the President of the university while exercising their domiciliary rights (see for example Article 21 (12) of the Bavarian Higher Education Act), there is a ban on entry for all members of the university (including scientific/research staff). This is an automatic consequence in terms of the Infection Protection Act measures and/or the exercise of domiciliary rights, and requires no further specific instructions.
Closed central facilities
All libraries at the CAU are closed to all members of the public with immediate effect, initially until 19 April 2020.
All museums at the CAU are closed to all members of the public with immediate effect, initially until 19 April 2020.
Sports Centre / university sports
All sports facilities are closed with immediate effect, initially until 19 April 2020. No courses or sports events will take place at the Sports Centre.
The Central Microscopy Facility of the Biology Center of Kiel University is closed until further notice.
Information obligations, exemption from work, home office
May employers demand a medical examination of an employee if they suspect a coronavirus infection?
No. Workers are not obliged to comply with instructions to be medically examined or even vaccinated. Physical interventions are not legally permitted. However, in terms of Section 106 of the German Trade Regulation Act (GewO, German only), employers may order preventive health measures (e.g. regular hand washing, no shaking hands, etc.) insofar as they represent reasonable discretion.
I belong to a risk group - what applies to me?
If you belong to one of the risk groups, you must always be sent to the home office by your supervisor. The risk groups include in particular persons with certain previous illnesses:
of the heart (e.g. coronary heart disease),
patients with chronic liver diseases)
Patients with a weakened immune system (e.g. due to a disease associated with an immune deficiency or by taking drugs that weaken the immune system, such as cortisone)
In this regard, reference is made to the information provided by the Robert Koch Institute.
Employees who are pre-loaded on the basis of the risk assessment are those listed in the RKI catalogue. In this context, not only age is to be taken into account, but in particular the state of health (presence of previous illnesses or other special risk assessments).
Employees affected by this must indicate to their supervisor that they belong to one of the risk groups mentioned in the instructions. In this case it is not necessary to present a certificate.
If your workplace is not and not even partially executable in the home office, you are basically released from work after consultation with the manager, with continued payment of the remuneration / salary. In the case of civil servants, the absence from work is approved in accordance with § 67 sentence 1 LBG. In the case of tariff employees, the acceptance of the offered work performance is expressly waived (default of acceptance). The same applies to student and research assistants.
However, the obligation to be available by telephone and to be on call at any time for the performance of important work at the university does not lapse in the event of release. In addition, you too must keep yourself constantly informed about current developments at the university. You may also be informed by e-mail and via the website when normal work is resumed and you need to be present in the office again.
What should be done if an employee suspects a corona infection?
In case of a suspected corona infection, please send the affected person home and ask him/her to inform the family doctor or call the doctors' hotline 116 117 (around the clock). If your employee suspects a corona infection, please do not send the patient directly to the doctor or to the emergency room of a hospital. Affected persons should first contact a family doctor or call 116 117 (around the clock) to get advice! The International Center of Kiel University checked the 116 117. Please stay in the line until the German voice message is finished. You will then be transferred to a member of staff.
You will be of great help to the authorities if you can reconstruct as best as possible, on the basis of duty rosters or appointment calendars, with which persons the patient have had contact. If there is a suspected case or a confirmed positive finding, the responsible public health office will order all further measures.
According to § 56 of the German Protection Against Infection Act, there is a right to compensation for loss of salary if (domestic) isolation is ordered. In this case, please contact the State Office for Social Services (LAsD). Information can be obtained during regular working hours by telephone at: 04621-8060 or by e-mail at: post.sl@lasd.landsh.de.
Must employees inform their employer if they have a coronavirus infection?
In such cases, workers are obliged in general to inform their employer that they are ill. However, they are not obliged to reveal the nature of the illness. Nevertheless, since the coronavirus is a highly contagious and dangerous disease, the university management, in consultation with staff representatives, requests that those infected with the coronavirus disclose the nature of their illness, as an exception. This is the only way that appropriate protective measures can then be taken against the spread of the virus.
Quarantines ordered by the public health department must be reported to the employer (superiors and the Human Resources Division) so that any further spread of the virus in the facility can be countered with suitable measures.
Where do I send my certificate of disability?
You send your certificate of incapacity to work by e-mail as a scan to the e-mail address: krankmeldung@uv.uni-kiel.de
Since the e-mails are distributed automatically, please use only the following options in the subject line:
Faculty of Agriculture and Nutritional Sciences
R123/back office
Is there an obligation for employees to be present at the CAU campus?
In order to reduce the frequency of contact, all CAU staff who are not required to maintain basic university functions are seconded to the home office. This is a special measure due to the current situation. In the faculties, the deans determine which functions and activities are affected by this, in the other areas the management of the institutions decide on this.
If your workplace is not, or not partially, available in the home office, you are generally released from work after consultation with the manager, with continued payment of remuneration / salary. In the case of civil servants, the absence from work is approved in accordance with § 67 sentence 1 LBG. In the case of tariff employees, the acceptance of the offered work performance is expressly waived (default of acceptance). The same applies to student and research assistants.
However, the obligation to be available by telephone and to be called up at any time for the performance of important work at the university does not lapse in the event of release from work. In addition, you too must keep yourself constantly informed about current developments at the university.
You may also be informed by e-mail and via the CAU website when normal work is resumed and you need to be present in the office again. Your superiors will document the leave of absence and inform the Human Resources Division in the form of a list. If employees are still working on site, the hygiene and clearance requirements in offices and laboratories must be observed.
Information on working alone
Working alone can mean that a person is exposed to increased or critical risks. A person is considered to be 'working alone' if help cannot be provided immediately after an accident or critical situation.
Information and a checklist on whether working alone is possible can be found on the pages of the Safety Engineer Staff Unit
Examples of dangerous tasks
Building services/workshops
Working with fall hazard
Work on live electrical installations
Work on gas installations
Work on stationary woodworking machines (circular saws, band saws, surface planing machines, milling machines)
Work on stationary metalworking machines (lathes, milling machines)
(mechanical, electrical, chemical, biological, thermal or radiant energy)
Working with hazardous substances ((§ 9 (7) GefStoffV and point 4.3.3 of the DGUV information "Safe working in laboratories (213-850)")
Working with artificial optical radiation
It is pointed out that existing personal emergency signal devices must not be removed from their intended areas and used. It is not possible to locate injured persons in the event of third-party use!
What does "home office" mean and what applies if I cannot perform my work at all or only to a limited extent in my home office?
In terms of employment law, "home office" means that your place of work is moved to your home. This means that you are still obliged to work, provided that you are required to do so. It is therefore generally expected that you can be reached by telephone. In addition, you are obliged - if you are technically capable of doing so - to check your e-mails and to process them if necessary. If you have the necessary IT equipment to carry out your work - even if only partially - in your home office, you are obliged to do so.
If your workstation is not and also not partially executable in the home office, you are basically released from work after consultation with the manager, with continued payment of the remuneration / salary. In the case of civil servants, the absence from work is approved in accordance with § 67 sentence 1 LBG. In the case of tariff employees, the acceptance of the offered work performance is expressly waived (default of acceptance). The same applies to student and research assistants.
IT Information about home office
What applies when schools or kindergartens close?
Here, the general rules apply: if the child is sick, it is cared for at home. Depending on the employment contract, the employee has a certain number of days that they can use for this purpose. The law stipulates ten days per child and parent, in the case of single parents this is 20 days. No-one must fear a loss of earnings during this period. For civil servants, the provisions of Section 13 of the Special Leave Regulations (Sonderurlaubsverordnung) of the state of Schleswig-Holstein (German only) apply.
Civil servants who must stay at home to care for their children (up to the age of 14), either because the children are not allowed to attend school or other childcare institutions due to a possible infection with the coronavirus, or because such institutions are closed due to measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, will be granted special leave in terms of Section 20 of the Special Leave Regulations.
Reference to Section 13 (2) of the Special Leave Regulations lapses with the State Chancellery’s decree dated 24 March 2020. The restricted special leave of initially 10 days (20 days for single parents) per child for their supervision is being expanded to the effect that this regulation is no longer restricted to 10 or 20 days, but is extended until 17.04.2020. Parents of school-aged children are responsible for their supervision during the school holidays from 30.03. to 17.04.2020, so these parents are unable to make use of this newly extended special leave period. It is aimed mainly at parents of children who would have gone to kindergarten or a crèche, but can no longer do so because these are closed. Kindergarten holiday closures are different to the school holidays and are significantly shorter overall. These parents are therefore facing a bigger problem in terms of what to do with their children, which this regulation aims to respond to. Insofar as possible, civil servants should work remotely (i.e. from home) in addition to caring for their children.
For tariff-based employees, this regulation is applied as follows: exemption from work (special leave) is granted for an initial period of three working days, in accordance with Section 29 (3) TV-L (the collective agreement for German civil service employees). If the conditions for exemption continue to be met, this special leave may be extended in further increments of three days, initially no later than 17.04.2020.
The regulation is a fall-back solution, to be used when it is actually not possible to work. Working from home options must always be utilised as a first priority. To clarify: if it is possible to work from home, even only in part, then the Special Leave Regulations do not apply.
In addition to the alternatives described above, there is also the possibility to care for children using annual leave, overtime or flexible working arrangements, provided such arrangements have been agreed with the supervisor in advance.
Working time framework / suspension of time recording / consequences
Recording of working time is suspended from 16.03.2020 until 19.04.2020, i.e. all employees who are subject to recording of working time will be deemed to have fulfilled their required hours. The time recording terminals are also switched offline for this period.
Student and research assistants in existing employment relationships will be credited with the daily target number of hours in the period from 16.03.2020 - 19.04.2020. They enter this accordingly in their working time accounts. There will therefore be neither plus nor minus hours.
Should corrective entries/adjustments be necessary for individual persons after the suspension phase has expired (e.g. mandatory weekend/night work, necessary overtime in the period of restricted service beyond the agreed working hours), these must be documented and forwarded to the Human Resources division via the respective superior(s). These times are then maintained manually in the system after the suspension period has expired. The legal provisions regarding maximum working time and rest periods must be observed.
Already approved holiday / Time compensation / Cancelling / Can I continue to apply for recreational leave / time off?
If holiday or time compensation has already been approved, this must be used first before granting special leave or release from duties. The approval of holiday oder time compensation already frees the employee from the obligation to perform their duties, and thus no granting of special leave or release from duties is required.
Cancelling annual leave or using up overtime can only be considered on a case-by-case basis, if employees must be called back into work from their holiday or time off to complete tasks that have only arisen as a result of the current crisis situation or must be ensured due to ‘coronavirus-related’ shortfalls or overloading. All other tasks - even those in crisis/system-relevant areas - occur regularly and must also be covered for during normal operations when someone is on holiday.
With this in mind, if cancelling annual leave or using up overtime becomes necessary, then an application to do so must be submitted to Human Resources, together with a justification statement by the respective supervisor.
Time compensation leave and holiday can still be applied for and approved by the superior.
If you are unable to use the workflow, please e-mail your annual leave application to your supervisor, who will forward it to Ms. Mahrt (smahrt@uv.uni-kiel), stating his/her approval. It will be entered into the time recording system centrally.
For severely disabled employees and employees with a proven chronic illness, special provisions may be permitted in individual cases, after consultation with the Representative Body for the Disabled and the HR department, subject to presentation of a medical certificate.
World Health Organisation (WHO) about Corona
Answers to frequently asked questions prepared by the Federal Ministry of the Interior
Coronavirus and entry restrictions: information by the German Federal Foreign Office
Daily updates on the coronavirus by the Federal Ministry of Health
The European Commission about her coronavirus response