Based on the recent announcement by President Ramaphosa regarding the risk-adjusted lowering of the Lockdown Regulations to Level 1, the following return-to-campus and return-to-work arrangements are applicable to CUT employees and students.

Employees and students are expected to return to campus based on the guidelines referenced in this document for ease of understanding. Thus, where practically possible, and with the written consent of the relevant line manager, employees who can continue to productively work remotely, should continue to do so.

Line managers will be expected to consider the employees within in their respective departments / sections in order to identify:

1. Employees who cannot continue to productively work from home as catered for in the Procedure on Employees Working Remotely, and those, due to operational requirements must be on campus;
2. Employees who are 60 years or older;
3. Employees with severe obesity – Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, as confirmed by a medical practitioner;
4. Women employees who are more than 28 weeks pregnant and especially if they have one or more of the comorbidities listed in the following point;
5. Employees with compromised immune systems as a result of comorbidities / underlying conditions who will be required to stay at home or work remotely.  The comorbidities include the following:
   • Hypertension;
   • Diabetes;
   • Obesity;
   • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and
   • Cardiovascular disease

List of employees who will return to work will be approved by the relevant executive manager and should be shared with the Senior Director: Human Resources and the assigned Compliance Officer, for reporting to the Department of Higher Education & Training, if required to do so.

Adhere to gazetted regulations with phased return-to-work

To ensure the health and safety of all our employees, students and visitors, CUT is obliged to implement the necessary measures on-campus. For this reason, the number of employees permitted to return to work will be limited to 80% capacity until further notice. In addition to social distancing (including hallways, stairs, elevators and common rooms), employees, students and visitors must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, and practice safe hygiene measures at all times. Adhere to strict meeting protocols and avoid face-to-face meetings as much as possible. If face-to-face meetings prove essential, social distancing measures must be in place. Hand-sanitizing facilities are accessible on both CUT Campuses and should be utilised frequently.

Employees and students will thus be required to present their CUT cards when entering CUT campuses. Visitors will be issued with CUT Visitors’ cards to enable scanning in order access CUT campuses. These Visitors’ cards shall be returned upon the visitor leaving the campus.

The university will continue to monitor and manage access to campus pro-actively and reserves the right to refuse entry or to request the vacating of CUT Campuses:

• To employees, students or visitors who fail or refuse to comply with all the COVID-19 safety measures the university has put in place; or
• When the above-mentioned scanners indicate that the 80% capacity on-campus has been reached.

Related to campus access, face-to-face meetings and gatherings are allowed where necessary under the guidelines stipulated in the Government Gazette No. 43725 of 1 September 2020.

Operational requirements

Given the university’s operational requirements, it is important that line managers identify employees who must be on-campus to continue with the operations of CUT, provided that employee numbers do not exceed the 80% limitation.

CUT expected timeline and approach to employees’ return to the work

Employees are expected to return to work with effect from 12 October 2020.

Notwithstanding the return-to-work guidelines, employees who can work remotely, are encouraged to continue to do so, subject to the written approval of the respective line managers.

Line managers are expected to identify employees who need to be on-campus and are unable to continue working remotely. No more than 80% of employees within their respective divisions can return to work.

As from 12 October 2020, Campus Access Permits will not be required for employees to enter any campus of the university.

Download the communique protocols for return to campus under lockdown Level 1 (PDF)