Questions and Answers Relating to the Coronavirus
Last Updates: Working from Home (as of June 1, 2022)
In line with the latest legal regulations relevant to KIT, infection protection requirements have been reduced to a large extent. Now, superiors can specify the measures to be taken as a function of the activity pursued. For this purpose, the “Handreichung Gefährdungsbeurteilung Corona” (Information on Risk Assessment Relating to the Coronavirus) may be consulted. This information replaces the KIT Guidelines on the Course of Business in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) Pandemic that ceased to be effective on April 15.
The present FAQs on the homepage of KIT give students, employees, and guests an overview of the latest regulations and recommendations of KIT. Information can also be found on the studies website on the Internet, on the intranet, the students’ portal, the websites of DE SUM, and other social media channels.
At a Glance
Business Operations:
KIT’s Guidelines of the Course of Business in Times of the SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) Pandemic ceased to be effective on April 15, 2022. Since then, the heads of the organizational units have been fully responsible for taking local infection protection measures, if required.
For any activities at KIT, the corresponding risk assessments have to be made and the respective protection measures have to be derived and implemented. For this purpose, the “Handreichung Gefährdungsbeurteilung Corona” (Information on Risk Assessment Relating to the Coronavirus) was set up and is available online on the Intranet.
Masks
In line with the latest legal regulations, persons are no longer obliged to wear masks at KIT, unless this is required as a result of a risk assessment. Still, KIT recommends to wear a mask during studies and at the workplace.
Work from Home/Mobile Work:
In general, the “Dienstvereinbarung zur Mobilen Arbeit und Telearbeit” (Works agreement on mobile working and teleworking) applies. As outlined in this agreement, up to 40% of the working time per month may be work from home or mobile work. As the Corona Occupational Safety Ordinance expired on May 26, 2022, “extended mobile work” is no longer permitted.
Current and reliable information on SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19, vaccinations, and more is given on the information portal of the Federal Ministry of Health.
General Questions
- Coronavirus: Where do I find the most important information? (As of July 22, 2022)
- My test is positive, I have symptoms, or I am a close contact. What do I have to observe? (As of August 4, 2022)
- Masks: Which rules are valid at KIT? (As of April 27, 2022)
- Kits for Self-testing: What do I have to observe? (As of July 20, 2022)
- Which vaccinations are offered? (As of April 27, 2022)
- What applies to the casino, bistro and canteen? (As of April 27, 2022)
Coronavirus: Where do I find the most important information?
Current and reliable information on SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19, vaccinations and more can be found on the information portal of the Federal Ministry of Health. Note the provided information on transmission pathways and effective protection measures. In addition, Robert Koch Institute publishes information and assessments of the current situation.
More information can also be found on the websites of KIT's Medical Services (MED).
My test is positive, I have symptoms, or I am a close contact. What do I have to observe?
I have symptoms
If they have Covid symptoms, employees are requested to stay at home or, when the symptoms develop at work, to immediately go home. To find out whether you have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, contact your family physician. Employees suffering from light respiratory diseases may call their physician and obtain a medical certificate via telephone until November 30, 2022.
I have a positive test
The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs provides information in German on how to proceed in these cases:
If you have Covid-19 or your test was positive, inform your superior about your close contact persons at work on the two days before you fell ill, so that these contacts may be informed in order to interrupt potential chains of infection.
I had contact to a positively tested person
As regards the obligation to self-isolate for vaccinated or recovered persons, a large variety of combinations exists. An overview in German is provided by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs.
Presence at KIT
If you are obliged to isolate (see above overview), you are not allowed to enter the campus of KIT. Also persons having Covid-typical symptoms are not allowed to enter KIT.
More information for infected persons and contact persons can be found on the websites of KIT’s Medical Services.
Masks: Which rules are valid at KIT?
There no longer is any general obligation to wear masks (exception, see below). Of course, every person can decide on his or her own and continue to wear a mask to protect himself/herself or persons in the environment. KIT agrees with the state government and recommends to continue to wear a mask in publicly accessible, closed rooms.
If a risk assessment is made and the result is that a mask or breathing protection (= FFP2) must be worn for infection protection and occupational safety, then this requirement is binding at the workplace assessed. In this case, the masks have to be made available to the persons concerned. When FFP2 masks have to be worn, persons must also be instructed about their correct use, the associated risks, and the possibility to undergo a preventative medical examination at MED.
Kits for Self-testing: What do I have to observe?
KIT is no longer obliged, but continues to provide all employees with self-test kits. The self-test kits may be obtained from the heads of the organizational units, who can order them in the Supplier Relationship Management System.
Two Covid-19 test stations run by external companies can be found on the KIT campuses.
- Campus South, building 30.96: Dr. Kaiser Schnelltest Service
- Campus North, FTU parking, south of the main entrance: Schnelltestzentrum Nordbaden (Drive-through)
If necessary, undergo testing there.
Which vaccinations are offered?
The Covid-19 vaccination campaign of the Medical Services has been completed.
For vaccination campaigns in Baden-Württemberg, click.
For vaccination campaigns in Karlsruhe, click.
By undergoing vaccination against Covid-19, you will protect yourself and your fellow humans. For more information on Covid vaccination, click.
Which regulations have to be observed when going to the canteen, bistro, and mensa?
For information on the regulations applicable to the canteen and bistro on Campus North, click: www.aserv.kit.edu/english/corona-regulations.php.
For information on the regulations valid at the Mensa Am Adenauerring, click: www.sw-ka.de/en/essen/.
Questions from employees
Work
- What is KIT’s regulation regarding mobile work from home or presence at the workplace? (As of June 1, 2022)
- How can interviews of job applicants be carried out at the moment? (As of April 27, 2022)
- Who can help me when I work from home? (As of April 27, 2022)
- I am working from home in the flextime mode. How do I get my working hours credited? (As of April 27, 2022)
Family Members
- Childcare: Which options do I have? (As of April 27, 2022)
- I have relatives in need of care. Now, the nursing staff fails to appear. What can I do? (As of April 27, 2022)
General
- Business trips, trips abroad: What do I have to observe? (As of April 27, 2022)
- I need to quarantine. What do I have to know? (As of April 27, 2022)
- Which rules apply to in-person meetings and other gatherings at KIT? (As of April 27, 2022)
- May the Corona App be installed on mobile work phones? (As of April 27, 2022)
- I belong to a risk group. What are my options regarding work at KIT? (As of April 27, 2022)
Work
What is KIT’s regulation regarding mobile work from home or presence at the workplace?
In general, the “Dienstvereinbarung zur Mobilen Arbeit und Telearbeit” (Works agreement on mobile working and teleworking) applies. According to this agreement, up to 40% of the working time per month may be work from home or mobile work. As the Corona Occupational Safety Ordinance expired on May 26, 2022, “extended mobile work” is no longer permitted.
How can interviews of job applicants be carried out at the moment?
Generally, it is possible to carry out face-to-face interviews. In this case, infection protection requirements and common hygiene rules have to be observed: A minimum distance of 1.5 m, cough and sneeze etiquette, regular thorough hand washing, well-aired and sufficiently large rooms. Please use the decentrally administrated rooms for this purpose.
Due to the still high infection rates, however, it is recommended to make interviews online to the extent possible.
Who can help me when I work from home?
Technical questions relating to work from home and mobile work are answered by SCC that has compiled comprehensive information on its websites.
The Health Network provides practical advice and help for healthy work (not only) at home (in German).
The Conflict Management and Psychosocial Counseling Staff Unit (KMB) will also be pleased to provide help.
I am working from home in the flextime mode. How do I get my working hours credited?
If you use ESS/MSS, use the function to correct your time bookings.
If you do not use ESS/MSS, list your daily working times for a week and have this list signed by your superior. Then send this list with your staff number as a scan to PSE-Zeitwirtschaft (PSE Time Management Group). Your working time recordings may also be listed together with those of your colleagues and sent to PSE-Zeitwirtschaft by your secretary’s office.
Family Members
Childcare: Which options do I have?
As the situation for parents and nursing relatives remains uncertain, all superiors are requested to react sensitively and to look for solutions together with their staff as flexibly as possible.
The following options are offered by KIT:
- Work from home: In case of serious problems in balancing job and family, contact your superior and ask whether extended work from home is possible to cover the required care times. First, use up your left-over holiday entitlements from 2021 and reduce your positive flextime balance.
- Core working time: To allow for the flexible execution of work, the employees concerned are not obliged to observe the core working time regulation until May 25, 2022.
- Time off work with a loss of pay: If the above options have already been used up or cannot be used, a short-term time off can be given with a loss of the salary paid according to TVöD.
- Unpaid leave with a compensation entitlement according to the Infection Protection Act: This compensation amounts to 67% of the loss of pay (at the maximum, EUR 2016 per month) until September 23, 2022. The conditions and the application form can be found here (in German).
- Illness of the child: Payment of the child illness allowance was extended by twenty additional days per parent (single parents: 40 days) in 2022. Until September 23, 2022, these days may also be used up when care facilities close or cannot be entered. Please ask your health insurance company for the proofs to be submitted.
In case of further questions, contact PSE-Zeitwirtschaft (Time Management Group of PSE).
I have relatives in need of care. Now, the nursing staff fails to appear. What can I do?
In this case, employees are entitled to stay away from work for up to ten days with a loss of pay in order to be able to organize a nursing service for close relatives in need of care. To compensate for the lost salary, employees are entitled to a care assistance allowance (Pflegeunterstützungsgeld). This allowance may be applied for with the Pflegekasse (nursing insurance fund) or nursing insurance company of your relative. Please contact the care insurance company or nursing insurance fund directly in order to find out whether you fulfill the conditions for short-term absence from work according to the Pflegezeitgesetz (Home Care Leave Act) and whether you are entitled to care assistance allowance.
For civil servants (Beamte): If civil servants have to organize a nursing service for a close relative, as the usual care service fails to appear, they must be given special leave without loss of pay for up to nine working days.
General
Business trips, trips abroad: What do I have to observe?
Note the provisions of the Federal Coronavirus Entry Ordinance (Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung, CoronaEinreiseV) as regards quarantine regulations for persons entering and returning to Germany. This also applies to guests from abroad. Information on travel restrictions and border control is given by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.
Details on travel regulations can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office (in German), where links to more information are provided.
Before entering Germany, people are obliged to register digitally, if they stayed in a high-risk area or area of variants of concern at a certain time within the last ten days before entry.
When making a business trip, check in advance whether you travel to a high-risk area or area of variants of concern (in German) and make such travels, if they are absolutely necessary only. Discuss possible alternatives with your superior in these cases, such as postponing your business trip or online meetings.
If a trip to a foreign high-risk area or area of variants of concern is urgently required for business reasons, undergo a G35 mandatory medical examination. When returning from abroad, observe the entry regulations.
I need to quarantine. What do I have to know?
If you have no disease symptoms and, hence, no certificate of incapacity for work (AU-/Arbeits-unfähigkeitsbescheinigung), and if you can work from home, you are obliged to do so during quarantine.
Note: If a person falls ill during quarantine, the incapacity for work due to illness starts on this particular day. In spite of the quarantine, you will need the corresponding certificate (AU-/Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) issued by your doctor from the first day of your illness.
If you have disease symptoms and present a certificate of incapacity for work, salary payment will be continued during sick leave.
If you are not ill, but cannot work from home while you are put in quarantine, the following regulations apply:
To persons who have not been vaccinated:
In Baden-Württemberg, persons above 18, who have not been fully vaccinated and are put in quarantine will not get their loss of salary compensated after September 15, 2021 as a rule. This does not apply, if you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Until further notice, this also applies to pregnant and nursing mothers.
If you cannot work from home in case of a quarantine, you may submit a request for vacation in order to prevent wage loss.
To vaccinated or recovered persons:
If the requirements are fulfilled (in German), the salary loss will be compensated.
Which rules apply to in-person meetings and other gatherings at KIT?
It is recommended to reduce business meetings to the absolutely necessary minimum and to meet online instead.
The Microsoft Teams software is available for online collaboration of groups (chats, meetings, video conferences, notes, joint editing and exchange of files, to-dos).
Users in the science sector can use the service DFNconf of the DFN-Verein (in German) for video, audio, and web conferences (as long as capacities are available).
To support use of various online communication services, a recommendation (in German) is given on the website of the Information Security Commissioner.
If in-person meetings are required, observe the known infection protection standards (distancing of 1.5 m, cough and sneeze etiquette, hand washing, raising the awareness of participants in advance, regular airing of rooms, larger room, etc.).
In any case, a risk assessment is required. Depending on the number of persons and the activity, protection measures may be needed and will be taken by the heads of the organizational units after the risk assessment of the workplace or the meeting.
May the Corona App be installed on mobile work phones?
The Corona-Warn-App of the Federal Government is important to trace and interrupt infection chains. It is possible and permitted at KIT to install the Corona warning app on mobile phones used for work. For reasons of IT security, please make sure that the latest operating system or latest version of the app is installed on the mobile phone.
I belong to a risk group. What are my options regarding work at KIT?
Depending on conditions at the workplace, protection measures may be needed and will be taken by the heads of the organizational units after a risk assessment. When making a risk assessment at the workplace, the company physicians (MED) or experts for occupational safety (FAS) may be consulted.
The question as to whether a certain person has an increased risk of a severe course of the disease due to pre-existing diseases cannot be answered in general. An individual assessment by a physician taking into account both the individual health conditions and the work conditions is necessary. In cases of a potentially increased individual risk of a severe course of Covid-19, the Medical Services (MED) may be consulted for occupational health/preventive care.
Questions on Studies and Teaching
Academic Education, Examinations, Courses
- What is the course of study in the summer semester of 2022? (As of May 5, 2022)
- Which requirements must be met by oral online exams via video conferencing? (As of April 27, 2022)
- Are deadlines and the regular study periods extended? (As of May 17, 2022)
General
- KIT Library: What do I have to note? (As of July 20, 2022)
- I am pregnant or I have questions regarding studies with a child. Whom can I contact in this situation? (As of April 27, 2022)
- As an international student, do I have to continue paying tuition fees? (As of April 27, 2022)
- Can international students enroll online? (As of April 27, 2022)
Academic Education, Examinations, Courses
What is the course of study in the summer semester of 2022?
In accordance with the legal regulations, the 2022 summer semester is an on-campus semester at KIT and the other universities in Baden-Württemberg. Students are not obliged to wear masks and to undergo 3G controls (controls of proofs of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test).
In the 2022 summer semester, KIT will return to the usual lecturing times as before the pandemic, with a break of 15 minutes between the lectures:
1st lecture block: 8.00-9.30 hrs
2nd lecture block: 9.45-11.15 hrs
3rd lecture block: 11.30-13.00 hrs
Lunch break: 13.00-14.00 hrs
4th lecture block: 14.00-15.30 hrs
5th lecture block: 15.45-17.15 hrs
6th lecture block: 17.30-19.00 hrs
Which requirements must be met by oral online exams via video conferencing?
Oral online exams via video conferencing are permitted even in the absence of infections, provided that the oral exams are suitable for online video conferencing. For details on the relevant organizational, legal, and technical conditions and on the processing of personal data, click here.
Are deadlines and the regular study periods extended?
Deadlines and maximum program durations are extended as follows:
Orientation exam:
For students enrolled in a degree program in the 2020 summer semester, 2020/2021 winter semester, 2021 summer semester, or 2021/2022 winter semester, the deadline for taking the orientation exam is extended by one semester each.
This means that
- for students enrolled in the same degree program in one of the above semesters, the deadline is extended by one semester;
- for students enrolled in the same degree program in two of the above semesters, the deadline is extended by two semesters;
- for students enrolled in the same degree program in three or more of the above semesters, the deadline is extended by a maximum of three semesters.
Maximum program duration:
The maximum duration of degree programs is extended by a maximum of three semesters. However, this does not imply a general extension of program duration for all students in the 2020 summer semester, 2020/2021 winter semester, 2021 summer semester, and 2021/2022 winter semester.
If you are blocked from re-registering in the following semester, because you have exceeded the maximum program duration, contact the responsible examination committee.
For questions regarding extended deadlines for taking repeat examinations, please also contact the responsible examination committee.
Regular study period:
According to the Act of Baden-Württemberg on Universities and Colleges (Landeshochschulgesetz), the individual regular study period is extended:
- By four semesters for students enrolled in a degree program in the 2020 summer semester, 2020/2021 winter semester, 2021 summer semester, and 2021/2022 winter semester
- By three semesters for students enrolled in a degree program in the 2020 summer semester, 2020/2021 winter semester, and 2021 summer semester
- By two semesters for students enrolled in the 2020 summer semester and 2020/2021 winter semester
- By one semester for students enrolled in the 2020 summer semester only
The maximum payment period of BAföG that is associated with the regular study period is extended accordingly. In this way, students shall be given planning security and Covid-induced hardship during studies shall be prevented.
General
KIT Library: What do I have to note?
The KIT Library is operating in regular mode.
I am pregnant or I have questions regarding studies with a child. Whom can I contact in this situation?
In case of questions relating to maternity protection during studies or to studies with a child, contact the Zentrale Studienberatung (student advisory services). Generally, this applies to all questions relating to studies in special situations (Studium in besonderen Lebenslagen, in German). More information on the pandemic and maternity protection can also be found in the FAQs of SLE (in German).
As an international student, do I have to continue paying tuition fees?
International students of KIT can apply for exemption from the payment of tuition fees with the International Students Office of the International Affairs Business Unit (INTL). For this, they are required to face financial hardship due to the pandemic after having taken up their studies. Due to this hardship, they are no longer able to pay the tuition fees. In addition, students may apply for an exemption from the payment of tuition fees, if they were unable to enter the country or had to re-enroll due to the cancelation of final exams. The relevant application form is provided by the International Students Office.
I am an international student. Can I enroll online?
International students can enroll online. Please send the required documents to your official in charge (see admission letter) by electronic mail. For more information, click here.
More information and contact persons
- KIT Corona Coordination Office
- Information on Risk Assessment Relating to the Coronavirus
- Current Corona regulation of the state of Baden-Württemberg
- Corona information of the Ministry of Social Affairs of Baden Württemberg
- Basic knowledge about coronavirus of the Federal Ministry of Health
- Robert Koch Institute
- Public health department Karlsruhe
- Information and recommendations of the KIT Medical Services
In case of a justified reason, KIT members are free to call the company physicians, the general practitioner, or the health authority for personal telephone consultation.
Questions relating to work at home are answered by your superior and the officer responsible for you at DE PSE. Here, we are focusing on the more intensive use of existing possibilities of telework or mobile working.
Lecturers with questions about study operations can get information here (in German only). If you have questions with respect to examination legislation please contact their departments or DE HAA.
Students are free to contact their lecturers, or the deans’ offices.
Suggestions for the maintenance of this FAQ can be directed to Monika Landgraf monika.landgraf∂kit.edu (SEK-Gesamtkommunikation) and Timo Schreck timo.schreck∂kit.edu (SEK-GK).
If you have any further questions, contact the Corona Coordination Office (Gerhard Frank (SUM), Andrea Stahl (MED), Boris Stegmaier (SUM), and Eric Moos (FAS)): corona∂sum.kit.edu