Coronavirus: Current Measures and Recommendations

In case of any questions about COVID-19, for example about Long Covid, please contact the occupational medical service of the University of Mannheim or your doctor's office. General information can be found on the websites of the RKI and the German Federal Center for Health Education (German).

On the intranet, you will find bilingual signs with behavioral rules and recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic. Please download, print and put up them up in your work area if applicable.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please inform your colleagues and other direct contacts.

In case a participant of one of your classes notifies you that they were tested positive for the coronavirus, please take note of the following information on what to do next:

However, in the interest of all people involved, we would like to ask you to inform the other participants of your class about this confirmed case of infection as a precaution. This is of course, after you have got consent to divulge this information from the infected person. You will find a text template to communicate with your students at the end. In case your students have questions after reading your information, please advise them to speak to a physician.

Please inform the task force about the situation in any case and let us know, which class was affected on which day. You should also inform your chair and the dean’s office of your school about the situation. If you have any questions, please write an e-mail to task-force uni-mannheim.de.

Text template “Information for the students”:

Dear Students,

Today we would like to inform you that one of the participants in the class „___“ on weekday, date, was tested positive for the coronavirus.

Please reconsider whether you have adhered to the DHM formula (distance, hygiene, mask) during the class. Please make sure to test yourself regularly for the virus and observe the regulations on self-quarantine (CoronaVO Absonderung, in German). In case you feel unsure about the situation, please reach out to your doctor with any additional questions.

We would like to remind you that in case you develop symptoms that are typical for a coronavirus infection, you are not allowed to enter the campus and you may not participate in classes and events of the university until your symptoms have been checked by a doctor.

We kindly ask you to watch yourself closely for symptoms of a coronavirus infection and, regardless of symptoms, test yourself regularly. The Central Administration also recommends using the Corona-Warn-App of the Federal Government.

In case you have any questions to the university, please send an e-mail to task-force uni-mannheim.de.

Kind regards and please take care!

Due to budgetary law reasons, the university is no longer able to provide its employees with tests.

If you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, you are required to self-quarantine until you receive a negative test result. In addition, the quarantine regulations of Baden-Württemberg apply.

Work events may take place on campus from 30 May 2022. The President's Office recommends that you keep the minimum distance or wear a surgical or an FFP2 face mask. It is still important to frequently air the rooms.

As of Monday, 30 May 2022 there are no more restrictions for traveling due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Exception: Business trips to high-risk areas and areas of variants of concern

Please find out prior to your business trip if the country you are traveling to is one of those areas (please see the list of high-risk areas and areas of variants of concern of the Federal Foreign Office and the information on international risk areas by the Federal Foreign Office, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior). This also applies to business trips that have been approved before the area in question was classified as an high-risk area or area of variants of concern. Should the area you traveled to be classified as such an area after your arrival, please contact the head of Division V immediately.

For business trips to high-risk areas and areas of variants of concern the following guidelines apply:

The number of employees who are put at additional risk of infection on business trips is to be reduced to a minimum necessary to complete the task. In view of the pandemic situation at the destination, please check whether the business trips can be substituted by electronic means of communication or reduced to a minimum. 

In cases in which it is necessary to participate in a business trip to a high-risk area or area of concern for work-related purposes, an individual decision can be made upon request. For such an individual decision to be made, we need the following documents in advance:

1. the written justification of the superior why the trip is necessary and why the purpose of the business trip cannot be achieved by participating in digital form and
2. a written declaration of the traveler that they are fully vaccinated and have a private travel abroad health insurance.

Please note: Your written declaration suffices, we do not need the official proofs for the vaccination or the travel abroad health insurance. In order to avoid any delays in processing the request, please make sure to submit your declaration with the business travel authorization form, i.e. by e-mail or internal mail. As business trips to high-risk areas and areas of variants of concern are being approved on a case by case basis, please note that we need your declaration for every business trip you are having authorized.

Please submit all relevant documents in due time and take into account that the processing time for approving the business trip is two weeks. Please note that the general insurance coverage and the option for reimbursement are subject to the approval of the business trip.

Please keep informed about the development of the coronavirus pandemic at your destination during your business trip. Please also take note of the information provided by the Federal Foreign Office, the Robert Koch Institute and the Ministry of Social Affairs.

In order to submit your request and in case you have any other questions regarding business trips, please contact the travel expenses office of Division V via e-mail, if possible.

Cancellation fees
Due to the current situation, we recommend that you only make bookings that are refundable in the event of cancellation. In case the organizer cancels the event due to the pandemic (please include proof), the cancellation fees, e.g. for hotel, train, flight or attendance fees, are refundable with the business travel expense report. The traveler needs to prove that they have made an effort to get a cost-neutral cancellation.

Voucher refund
Various transport companies are forced by the coronavirus regulations to cancel planned business trips and are now offering refunds in form of vouchers instead of monetary reimbursement. In general, the University of Mannheim does not accept vouchers issued as reimbursement. Please do not accept a voucher before you get in touch with out travel expenses office. Your contact is Diana Lechner.

To enable teachers and employees at the University of Mannheim to work well together in times of home office and hybrid teaching, the University IT (UNIT) provides a range of digital services:

• Zoom or MS Teams for video calls and meetings,
• Microsoft 365 as an extensive platform for communication and collaboration,
• BigBlueButton for oral exams,
• ILIAS as e-learning platform for designing digital teaching formats, information on digital exams, and access to class-specific documents.

You can book advising appointments with the staff members of the administration via phone, e-mail or Microsoft Teams. Booking virtual meetings with several persons is also possible.

Online appointments
You have the option to book appointments with the responsible advisors online. You can find a link to book appointments online in the contact information of the respective contact person. For matters regarding student affairs, it is possible to book appointments on the web pages of Division II. For matters regarding human resources or other topics of Division V, you can send appointment requests via the intranet page of Division V. Persons who are not employed at the university can use the online contact form on the web page of Division V to get in touch. For infection control reasons and due to the room conditions, these appointments will primarily take place via MS Teams or telephone. In special cases, appointments may also be possible in person.

Signing contracts
Wherever possible, contracts will be concluded either electronically or by (internal) mail. If this is not possible, for instance in the case of employment contracts, you will receive an individual appointment in person.

Requesting certificates
The Central Administration are happy to send you confirmations and certificates either electronically or by (internal) mail.

Submitting documents
You can send files and documents either electronically or, if an original is required, by (internal) mail to the Central Administration.

Janitor
All janitors are working during their regular working hours and can be contacted as usual.

Reception Desk
The Reception Desk at the main entrance is occupied by two persons at all times (24 hours / 7 days a week). In case of any questions or problems, please contact the hotline of the Reception Desk by calling 181-1110.

Technical Equipment
All technical equipment and systems can be used as in times before the start of the pandemic.

Ventilation systems
All measures of the University of Mannheim aim at minimizing the risk of infection and stopping the further spread of the coronavirus. However, it is impossible to guarantee full protection. According to the latest scientific findings, the coronavirus is primarily transmitted through droplets. Airing generally reduces the risk of infection through aerosols and therefore plays a vital role in our concept to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For this reason, we recommend airing rooms frequently and extensively, with as much fresh outdoor air as possible.

In which rooms are ventilation systems installed and why?
At the University of Mannheim, all commonly used rooms and offices can at least be aired by manually opening the windows. Larger rooms with a seating capacity of 50 persons or more are usually equipped with a ventilation system. Ventilation systems are absolutely necessary for the operation of these rooms to comply with the legal requirements in terms of hygiene and use of energy resources.

Ventilation systems ensure a high level of safety, because they purify the supply air from outside with filters and separate small particles. As the ventilation system provides a room purified fresh air, it always contributes to a dilution of possible contaminations and lowers the viral load in a room. Professional planning, zoning and pressurizing ensure that contaminants from exhaust air do not spread in a building. Ventilation systems operate regardless of the weather conditions outside.

Find more information on the ventilation system on the intranet.

Currently, the mandate to work from home for employers and employees ceased to apply as of 20 March 2022 when the new SARS-Cov-2 occupational health and safety regulation became effective. Also the interim regulation for employees of the University of Mannheim ended on 25 May 2022. However, the risk of catching Covid-19 remains high in all areas of life and the University of Mannheim still has a duty of care as an employer. To protect the health of all university members and to ensure that the university’s central units remain operational, the following rules will apply as of Monday, 30 May 2022:

Working on campus
Generally, it is now possible to return to campus for work and the telework agreement (Dienst­vereinbarung Telearbeit) will enter into force on Monday, 30 May 2022. Working from home beyond the telework agreement is then only possible if there are not enough desks at the office, see the following section (Working together in an office).

Working together in an office
It is generally possible that two or more employees use an office at the same time, provided that the employees and their supervisor agree, the minimum distance requirement of 1.5 meters can be kept and the room can be properly aired. When agreeing to several employees working in the same office, the supervisors should take the protection of vulnerable groups into account and ensure that the university remains operational in case of infection.

If a suitable desk is not available and the nature of the tasks allows for it, it is possible that employees continue to work from home, beyond the telework agreement. The supervisors and employees can bilaterally agree on such arrangements.

As of 3 April, students and teachers no longer need to present a 2G or 3G proof to participate in on-campus classes. This means they no longer need a Classroom Pass. The data stored in the Classroom Pass Center will be deleted in accordance with legal requirements.

Please click here for current information on vaccination appointments.

The university post office is open at the usual opening hours (find more information on the intranet). You do not need to make an appointment in advance. Please maintain the mandatory distance when picking up your mail and wait in front of the post office in case a colleague is already inside.

In case a staff member must go into an ordered quarantine, the respective staff member should work from home/perform telework insofar as this is possible for the type of work they need to perform. If this makes it possible for the staff member to continue working, the claim for payment/renumeration still exists. If the staff member cannot work from home/perform telework, they usually receive a compensation according to the act on the prevention and control of infectious diseases (Infektionsschutzgesetz); civil servants still receive their renumeration. However, the current regulatory provisions limit the claim for compensation/renumeration as follows:

Employees lose their claim for compensation if they are not vaccinated (exception: being younger than 18 years old or not being able to get vaccinated due to medical reasons) or if they went on an avoidable trip to an area that was already classified as a risk area on the starting date of that trip and this is the reason why they must quarantine.

Civil servants lose their claim for renumeration during a quarantine if they are responsible for the reason why they must quarantine. Since getting vaccinated is not compulsory, a person is responsible for a quarantine if they behave in a risky way, for example if they travel to a high-risk area without valid reason.

In case a staff member is ordered to quarantine, the employer who is represented by the Human Resources department must evaluate if the claim for compensation/renumeration exists or if the staff member is responsible for the quarantine. Therefore, the employer is allowed to ask the staff member why they must go into quarantine. For staff members who are not vaccinated, the employer is also allowed to ask why they did not get vaccinated so far. Upon request, the staff member must submit a proof of vaccination or recovery to the Human Resources department. In case a staff member was not vaccinated due to medical reasons, it is sufficient to submit a medical certificate which must not state the specific reason.

Please note that the claim for compensation/renumeration is lost in case staff members do not answer these questions or do not submit the respective proof.

Private trips to risk areas
It is your private decision if you travel to a risk area in your private time. However, please note that you must comply with the prevailing regulations for mandatory testing and quarantine according to the decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs on quarantine measures for entering and returning to the Land of Baden-Württemberg in order to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (CoronaVO EQ) when you return to Baden-Württemberg from private trips. The relevant regulations are available here (in German).

Please bear in mind that you have to check with your superior/s that not only your vacation/absence is approved but also the following absence due to the mandatory quarantine.

In this context, we would like to point out that we cannot grant you paid leave while you are in mandatory quarantine, since this absence is based on your private decision. For this reason, you have to check with your superior/s if you can take days of leave for the duration of the quarantine or if – for some or all of that time – you can work from home, use overtime hours, or if unpaid leave is an option. If the interests of the university generally allow that the days in quarantine can be taken off directly after the holiday, this period must be covered by one of the measures mentioned above or by a combination of these. Paid leave is not possible. Please note that if you travel to a high-risk area without valid reason and you must quarantine afterwards, the claim for compensation/renumeration is lost. For further information please follow this link.

In cases of doubt, please contact the head of Division V.

Please inform yourself about the development of the coronavirus pandemic in your destination and about possible travel restrictions before and during your private trip. Please also take note of the information from the Federal Foreign Office, the Robert Koch Institute and the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Should the coronavirus situation worsen during your private trip and the region or country that you are in is classified as a risk area after you arrive, you must observe the current regulations for entering and returning to Baden-Württemberg. Should you have questions regarding retuning to your workplace at the University of Mannheim, please contact the head of Division V (from home).

Events can take place again. Please contact the Event Management department of Service & Marketing GmbH for room bookings.

Catering can be offered. However, the President's Office recommends wearing an FFP2 mask, or at least a surgical mask, where the minimum distance of 1.5 meters cannot be kept.

Our guidelines for a fair interview process during the coronavirus pandemic are available on the intranet.