Campus Human Resources

Dear Colleagues:

In light of current needs and to ensure the well-being of employees, UCLA plans to observe an extended Winter Holiday Closure during the 2020-2021 holiday season. With the new challenges and uncertainties we’ve all faced as a result of the pandemic, this is an opportunity to focus on our health and well-being.

It is proposed that the campus closure period begin on Saturday, December 19, 2020, through Sunday, January 3, 2021, with plans to reopen on Monday, January 4, 2021, subject to limited COVID-19 operational conditions. This period includes four University paid holidays (December 24, 25, 31 and January 1). This year, six days (December 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30) are not paid holidays. Staff employees and those academic employees who accrue vacation leave may use either vacation, compensatory time (if available), or leave without pay to compensate for these six work days.

University policy related to curtailment leave allows eligible employees to use three vacation days in advance of actual accrual. The Office of the President has approved an exception to the vacation leave and curtailment leave policies to allow eligible employees to use up to six vacation days in advance of actual accrual during the campus closure.

For exclusively represented employees, labor contracts may include similar provisions, and requirements under the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act will be observed.

In accordance with university personnel policies and applicable labor agreements, and consistent with 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 six 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 six working days based on departmental approval. In this case, employees will not lose hourly vacation or sick leave accruals for these six days.

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 planned break period, the UCLA Health System and certain essential-service facilities will continue to remain open. Deans, Vice Chancellors and Organization Heads to whom this responsibility has 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.

Please distribute this memo widely in your organization or department so that employees may provide feedback. Comments or questions regarding application of personnel policies or collective bargaining agreements during the closure should be sent to Anthony Solana, Director of Employee and Labor Relations in Campus Human Resources at asolana@chr.ucla.edu or Jane Miller, Director of Employee and Labor Relations in Health Human Resources at janemiller@mednet.ucla.edu by Friday, October 23, 2020.

Sincerely,