Updated staff FAQs: season tickets, access, purchasing IT equipment
24 Mar 2020
Staff FAQs will be updated regularly
This advice is correct at the time of publication of this news article.
If you have health concerns then you should refer to the NHS website as recommended by Public Health England, however to make other queries regarding the current situation you can email coronavirus-info@manchester.ac.uk.
We will be updating the staff frequently asked questions on a regular basis.
The latest questions are:
I have bought a rail or bus travel season ticket – can I get a refund?
The Government has said that commuters with rail season tickets will receive a refund if they stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak. If you have bought a travel season ticket yourself you should contact the company you bought it from directly to claim a refund.
If you have purchased your season ticket using the University’s interest free season ticket loan scheme, this involves the University buying your ticket on your behalf and you paying a monthly amount from your salary to cover the cost of your season ticket.
In these cases you will need to:
- Scan or take a photograph of your ticket and send this to HRServices@manchester.ac.uk. You should then post your ticket back to the travel provider using the postal address they provide.
- If you have a smartcard ticket there is no need for you to send a scan or photograph of your smart card to HR Services, just post your smart ticket to your travel provider.
- In all cases, please email HRServices@manchester.ac.uk confirming that you have posted your ticket/smart card back to the travel provide and in this email give your name, staff ID number and ticket/smart card reference number. As soon as HR Services receives this confirmation from you they will ensure that deductions from your salary stop as of that date.
The HR Services team will then notify your travel provider that the ticket is cancelled so that the travel provider can give the University a refund. Please note that given the current circumstances it will take longer than usual for this refund process to be completed. The March payroll has already been processed, so your season ticket deduction will still appear in this month’s salary.
The sooner you are able to carry out the process outlined above, the sooner colleagues in HR will be able to progress with gaining a refund from travel companies and be able to stop deductions appearing in your salary.
Colleagues in HR Services are contacting all staff who have bought a travel ticket through the interest free loan scheme providing the above details but if you have any questions in the meantime please email HRServices@manchester.ac.uk
Can I get access to University buildings during this period?
University buildings are now closed and staff cannot access them. The only exceptions are staff who have been identified by their Faculty, School or Directorate as ‘essential’ to maintain certain services and facilities, or who may be required to attend campus in the event of an emergency
If you have not been included on the essential staff lists but feel that you need access to a University building, you must contact your Head of School or Professional Services Director who will decide whether you can be given access or not. Access will only be permitted where your visit is deemed to be essential. Please do not attempt to access University buildings unless you have approval to do so. Your co-operation and understanding during this period is very much appreciated.
Can I buy equipment to enable me to work from home and claim for these items through expenses?
No, the University’s expenses policy does not cover the purchase of items such as screens, laptops, desks and chairs. It is important to note that staff making purchases like these will not be reimbursed. If you are concerned that you don’t have the appropriate equipment to enable you to work from home from either a health and safety or occupational health perspective, please contact your line manager in the first instance.
Only essential services and supplies are to be purchased until further notice. From Friday, 20 March iProcurement will be available only for orders related to ensuring essential services remain operational. These will need to be pre-approved by a Senior Leadership Team (SLT) member or their immediate delegate or will not be converted into a Purchase Order (PO) or issued to the supplier.
For legal reasons, there are almost no circumstances under which goods may be delivered to a personal address. Do not arrange this yourself and do not ask for an exception unless the relevant member of SLT has pre-approved a case for so doing. Please forward the SLT member email approval with the request.