Work Life COVID-19 Resources: 2020-2021 Academic Year
With the changing developments due to COVID-19, the 2020-2021 academic year will see a difference in the way we work and live. In addition to the information available on the NYU Returns hub, the Work Life office has compiled a list of resources designed to guide NYU faculty, admininistrators, and researchers to the appropriate resources for work-life concerns related to the upcoming academic year. We encourage you to visit this page regularly, as sections will be continually updated throughout the year.
To stay up to date, connect with us on Facebook and subscribe to the Work Life newsletter for announcements and resources.
| Area of Concern |
Resources |
Details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the university provide any financial child care awards or subsidies? | 1. Work-Family Child Supports for Faculty, 2. Work-Family Child Supports for Employees, and 3. Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account | NYU offers financial assistance programs to help families with eligible child care expenses, including scholarships, subsidy programs, and flexible spending accounts. |
PeopleLink |
| Is the university offering any financial supports for those experiencing financial difficulty due to COVID-19? | Emergency Relief Fund Donation Page and Emergency Relief Fund Application | The NYU Emergency Relief Fund for Faculty and Employees provides limited financial assistance to full-time, U.S.-based employees (faculty, administrators, and staff) who are experiencing a temporary financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. | emergency-relief-fund@nyu.edu |
| Area of Concern | Resources | Details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where can I find ongoing child care near the Washington Square campus? |
Child Care, After-School, and Camp Programs |
There are several child care centers around NYU that are re-opening this fall, including Creative Steps, University Plaza Nursery School (UPNS), Buckle My Shoe, and Bright Horizons West Village. |
Work Life |
| How can I find other NYU families to exchange care arrangements? | Sign up to receive a notification when the cooperative child care app launches | Work Life will soon be offering employees access to a cooperative child care app designed to coordinate shares and swaps with other families. |
Work Life |
| Can I hire current NYU students to provide child care? | Join the NYU Child Care Google Group | Work Life recently launched the NYU Child Care Google Group, a dedicated space closed to the NYU community (families & students). The group will function as a shared "bulletin board" where community members can post, search for, and respond to caregiving jobs. |
Work Life |
| How can I search more broadly for a sitter or nanny? | Sittercity and their Nanny Placement Service | The university's Bright Horizons benefit program includes free access to Sittercity and their extensive database of babysitters and nannies, as well as housekeepers and pet sitters. |
Work Life/ People Link |
| Are virtual caregiving options available? | Sittercity | Sittercity is encouraging families to explore the idea of virtual babysitting. They offer guidance on how to conduct virtual interviews. | Work Life/ People Link |
| Where can I find center-based or in-home back-up care for my child if my ongoing care arrangement falls through? | Bright Horizons | Bright Horizons, NYU's backup care provider, continues to offer back-up care during this time while ensuring the health and safety of families and their care providers. In-home back-up care services remain widely available. Employees can use up to 15 days of subsidized back-up child and/or adult care per year. | Work Life/People Link |
| I have a child with special needs. Can I choose a caregiver from my personal network? | Bright Horizons Back-Up Care for Children with Special Needs |
If a parent has a child with special needs, they can use a known caregiver for back-up care and be reimbursed towards the cost of care – This is called Out-of-Network Care and counts as using one of their 15 available Back-Up Care days per year. |
Work Life/People Link |
| Area of Concern | Resources | Details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| How can I create learning pods or playgroups with other NYU families? | Sign up to receive a notification when the cooperative child care app launches | Work Life will soon be offering employees access to a cooperative child care app designed to coordinate shares and swaps with other families. | Work Life |
| I prefer to hire an NYU student as a virtual or in-person tutor. Where do I look? | Join the NYU Child Care Google Group | Work Life recently launched the NYU Child Care Google Group, a dedicated space closed to the NYU community (families & students). The group will function as a shared "bulletin board" where community members can post, search for, and respond to caregiving jobs. |
Work Life |
| How can I search more broadly for a sitter who can provide instructional support for my child? | Sittercity | The university's Bright Horizons benefit program includes free access to Sittercity to search for caregivers with an education background and teaching experience. Beginning 8/28, these caregivers will be noted with a "Ready to Teach" badge on their profiles. |
Work Life/People Link |
| Where can I find virtual tutoring services and test preparation services? | Bright Horizons Tutoring & Test Prep | Beginning 8/28, the Bright Horizons benefit will offer discounts on highly-ranked tutoring and test preparation through their partnership with Varsity Tutors and Revolution Prep. | Work Life/People Link |
| Where can I find resources to help my child learn at home? | Educational Resources | The Work Life office has compiled list of educational resources for all age groups to help parents and their caregivers supplement their child's learning. |
Work Life |
| How can I connect with other parents at NYU? | Work Life Support Groups | Work Life leads a number of support groups for parents, including a parent support group for children with special needs. There are also a number of affinity groups at NYU geared towards parents. | Work Life |
| How can I stay updated on parent-related information? | Parenting at NYU Newsletter | For parent-related information throughout the year, we encourage you to subscribe to Work Life's Parenting at NYU newsletter. |
Work Life |
| Area of Concern | Resources | Details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where can I find backup care for an adult if I need to work? | Bright Horizons | Bright Horizons, NYU's backup care provider, continues to offer back-up care during this time while ensuring the health and safety of families and their care providers. In-home back-up care services remain widely available. Employees can use up to 15 days of subsidized back-up child and/or adult care per year. |
Work Life/People Link |
| I am overwhelmed with adult caregiving responsibilities. Where can I find support? | Support Group for NYU Community Members with Older Adult Loved Ones | The Work Life office leads a weekly support group for NYU faculty and administrators who are concerned about their older adult loved ones, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Work Life |
| I know an older adult who could benefit from a virtual check-in. Is there a way to connect them to a volunteer? | Neighbor to Neighbor Volunteer Program | Organized by the Offices of Faculty Housing and Work Life, the Neighbor to Neighbor Volunteer Corps is aimed to provide support to neighbors through telephone check-ins. |
Work Life/Faculty Housing |
| Area of Concern | Resources | Details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where can I find the best practices for continuing remote work? | Work Life's Quick Tips for Working Remotely | Work Life has compiled a document of quick tips for remote work that prioritize communication, flexibility, and self-compassion. Additionally, please visit NYU's Tech Guide to Teleworking for more information about how to create a successful telework environment. | Work Life |
| I'm a manager. How can I best support my team during this time? | Work Life's Manager Tips for Leading Remote Teams with a Work Life Lens | Work Life is currently partnering with both faculty and administrator offices to train managers on leadership strategies during COVID-19. We are encouraging managers to demonstrate flexibility, trust, and empathy as they lead remote teams. | Work Life |
| Area of Concern | Resources | Details | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can I use paid time off for COVID-19 related absences? | NYU Returns - Time and Leave Considerations for Employees | NYU employees can use vacation, personal, and sick leave days for caregiving needs. Visit the NYU Returns page for addtional details and to review different time off scenarios. | People Link |