While there is support for the opportunity to take time away from Dec. 16 to Jan. 2, concerns were expressed by many employees, including managers, about the impact of this extended period on use of vacation accruals.
After weighing all of the information, leadership has modified the closure period to start on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, and continue through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, with plans to reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. Additionally, departments are encouraged to reduce service levels during the week of Dec. 19–22 and encourage employees who are able to do so to take vacation. Campus employees working the week of Dec. 19–22 are encouraged to set aside one of those days to complete required trainings and other training activities identified by their department.
The closure period includes four University paid holidays (Dec. 23, 26, 30 and Jan. 2, 2023) and three days (Dec. 27, 28 and 29) that are not paid holidays.
In accordance with university personnel policies and applicable labor agreements, and consistent with the practice in previous years, employees will have the choice of the following options to cover the non-paid holidays during the closure period.
- Eligible employees may use vacation days in advance of their actual accrual.
- Newly hired employees, represented and policy-covered, may use their vacation accruals during the closure before acquiring six continuous months on pay status.
- Employees with accrued compensatory time may elect to use it to cover the three days off or to offset the use of vacation time.
- Employees who do not wish to use vacation or compensatory time off may request leave without pay for the three working days based on departmental approval. In this case, employees will still accrue hourly vacation and sick leave for the days they choose to take leave without pay.
The above options may be used in combination. Employees should notify their respective supervisors in advance as to which option or combination of options they propose to use.
During the closure period, the UCLA Health System and certain essential services will continue to remain operational, and corresponding staff will continue to work. Other employees may be asked to work during this period related to calendar year-end activities, although services in many units will be limited. Deans, vice chancellors and organization heads to whom these responsibilities have been delegated will need to determine if any facilities under their management will need to remain fully or partially open during the closure and, accordingly, arrange for appropriate staffing. Please send copies of these approval decisions to the Office of the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Facilities Management, and to Employee and Labor Relations.
For your convenience, a 2022-2023 Winter Holiday Closure Frequently Asked Questions page is available to help with inquiries. Campus employees with additional questions may contact their departmental HR representative or Kathleen Shiroma, Manager, Staff Personnel Policy, in Campus Human Resources at kshiroma@chr.ucla.edu. UCLA Health employees may contact Jane Miller, Director of Employee and Labor Relations, in Health Human Resources at janemiller@mednet.ucla.edu.
