SASKATOON -- The University of Saskatchewan may be laying off employees.

Due to COVID-19, the university is not planning large-scale re-opening of full university operations within the next several weeks.

According to a statement from Gord Hunchak, the associate vice president of communications, the university has developed a process to facilitate temporary layoffs of employees who are not able to perform their regular work.

These temporary layoffs will be for a period of up to 12 weeks during which time the university will provide a top-up to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), up to 85 per cent of pre-layoff regular earnings.

Employees who are temporarily laid off will continue to have full access to their benefits programs, as well as the university’s IT services such as email and network access.

The number of temporary layoffs has not been determined.