As you will know, the Government has placed Kent in Tier 4 which means that all of those living in the county are subject to tightened Covid-19 restrictions. 

Under the guidance, all those who are working at home should continue to do so. If your agreed way of working is on campus, please continue to come into work as usual as those who work in universities are classified as essential workers. We suggest that you carry your Kent One card (or equivalent University ID) with you as you travel to and from work. 

The health and wellbeing of our staff and students continues to be at the forefront of our decision-making and we continue to follow government and public health advice. At present, there is no indication that being in a regional Tier 4 means we have to restrict the services we are currently offering on campus, but we are seeking further advice on this from our local public health team. We will update you as soon as we have a response.

The regional tiers will be reviewed by the Government on 30 December 2020, and we will further update you shortly after that date as well. Existing Government guidelines indicate that plans for a staggered return to campus after the Christmas vacation will remain in place along with the offer of asymptomatic testing for staff and students on both Canterbury and Medway campuses from 4 January 2021. 

Meanwhile, we are aware that some of you who are working on campus may experience delays and disruption to your normal road journey to work due the closure of the Port of Dover, which has led to increased traffic on some key roads.  

We are bringing forward the implementation of the Brexit Short Term Travel and Pay Policy to cover this situation. Under this policy, you will be expected to attend work in the normal way during any period of disruption and make all reasonable efforts to identify alternative travel routes. If agreed by your line manager, the University will consider claims for reasonable additional expenses if you have to use public transport instead of your normal road journey. If you are unable to get to work, please notify your line manager as soon as possible. 

Once again, I thank you for your continued support at this challenging time, 

Best wishes, 

Alison Ross-Green | Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development