Work Life COVID-19 Resources: 2020-2021 Academic Year
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to the 2020-2021 academic year, from balancing caregiving responsibilities to setting boundaries between our work and home lives. The Work Life office has compiled a list of resources to respond to the needs of the NYU community. Below, you’ll find supports organized by category, along with brief descriptions and contact information. We encourage you to visit this page regularly, as resources will be continually updated.
To learn more about the Work Life office's focus areas, visit the Work Life & Wellness webpage. For more personalized help, you can also schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our program directors.
Latest Resources:
- Bright Horizons, the University's back-up care provider, will be waiving co-pays for March and April.
- The Work Life office is leading two Manager Conversation Groups where managers and leaders can connect with peers to address some of today's managerial challenges. We currently have space in a cohort that meets Tuesdays at 9am, March 23, April 6 & 20, May 4 & 18. Please email Grace Cosachov Protos if you'd like to join.
| 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 |
|
Is the University offering any financial supports for parents who have incurred new or increased child care costs due to COVID-19? |
COVID-19 Child Care Grant |
For the academic year 2020-2021, NYU has established a grant to provide temporary support for families at NYU who are full-time faculty and employees facing new or increased child care expenses due to COVID-19-related child care/school disruptions or closures. | PeopleLink |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Does the University provide mental health counseling services for faculty and employees? |
Employee Assistance Program- Powered by Optum | The University's Employee Assistance Program provides access to five free sessions of mental health counseling for you and your dependents with the option to be referred to an in-network provider. | Work Life |
|
Any tips for practicing self care right now? |
Workplace Wellness - Self Care |
Work Life has highlighted several self care resources available to the NYU community. |
Work Life |
| Where can I find the best practices for continuing remote work? | Work Life's Tips for Healthy Remote Practices | Work Life has compiled a document of 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 lead a team. How can I best support them during this time? |
Workplace Wellness - Managing with a Work-Life Perspective |
Work Life is encouraging managers, department chairs, and division heads 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 |