On November 12, 2020, President Michael V. Drake issued the following Executive Order:
Background and Findings
As of this date, the world is facing a severe health crisis in which COVID-19, a new respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, places millions of people at risk of serious illness or death. The World Health Organization has declared that the disease is a pandemic. Declarations of Emergency have been issued by the President of the United States, the Governor of California, and many California counties and other local jurisdictions, including those where the University of California maintains campuses or other significant operations.
On March 19 of this year, the State Public Health Officer issued an order directing all individuals living in the State to stay at home except as needed to facilitate authorized, necessary activities or to maintain the continuity of operations of critical infrastructure sectors. This order caused virtually every government agency and private organization in the State to transition to remote operations to the greatest extent possible. Since then, the State has developed and refined a Pandemic Roadmap to guide prudent resumption of on-site or in-person operations and the University is developing and implementing plans to transition remote activities back to campuses consistent with applicable public health orders and directives.
As California progresses through its roadmap, the possibility of an outbreak or surge that overwhelms the healthcare system and causes hospitals to adopt crisis standards of care necessarily increases – as of November 1, 2020, thousands of new cases are being reported every day. The University of California holds as its highest priority the health, safety and wellbeing of its students, faculty, clinicians, administrators and employees, and all other members of its communities. The University holds as an additional priority the effective functioning of its health systems, which will serve as critical state assets in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and must be able to maintain sufficient staffing resources to meet operational needs.
As President of the University, I have concluded that critical steps must be taken to limit the exposure of members of our community to the disease within our community, to care for those who have fallen ill or otherwise been exposed, and to assure the continued functioning of critical operations, including most particularly the health systems that we will rely on to meet the challenge posed by COVID-19.
Executive Order
WHEREFORE AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA I DECLARE:
On the authority vested in me by Bylaw 30, Bylaw 22.1, Regents Policy 1500 and Standing Order 100.4(ee), and based on the foregoing circumstances, I hereby issue the following order, to be effective for the period March 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, and direct the following:
On March 9, 2020, the University authorized a grant of up to 14 days of paid administrative leave for employees unable to work for COVID-19 related reasons. In order to address the extraordinary demands placed on our employees in seeking and providing health care for COVID-19, and otherwise responding to this pandemic, that guidance shall be modified as follows:
- All employees shall be eligible to receive a one-time allotment of up to 128 hours of paid administrative leave, subject to the following conditions
- All hours must be used by June 30, 2021, or the allotment shall expire;
- The hours may be used at any time during the period of this Executive Order, including intermittently, either before or after the use of any accrued leave or other paid leave, at the request of the employee, in consultation with the supervisor, provided that such use shall not adversely affect the delivery of essential university services, including in particular, the clinical services delivered by UC Health;
- The number of hours for employees who work less than full-time shall be prorated according to the percent of the appointment;
- Exempt employees who do not accrue sick or vacation leave are eligible for the one-time allotment of the paid administrative leave.
- The paid administrative leave hours may only be used for the following purposes:
- When an employee is unable to work due to the employee’s own COVID-19-related illness or that of a family member;
- When an employee is unable to work because the employee has been directed not to come to the worksite for COVID-19-related reasons and/or the work site has implemented a COVID-19-related remote-work program or is under a shelter in place order and it is not operationally feasible for the employee to work remotely;
- When an employee is unable to work because a COVID-19-related school or daycare closure requires the employee to be at home with a child or dependent, and it is not operationally feasible for the employee to work remotely or in conjunction with the childcare commitment.
All University policies contrary to the provisions of this Executive Order, except those adopted by the Regents, shall be suspended to the extent of the conflict, during the period of this Order.
The Vice President – Systemwide Human Resources and the Vice Provost – Academic Personnel and Programs shall have the authority to issue further guidance about the parameters and use of this paid administrative leave, in consultation with the Executive Vice President – UC Health.
Please click here to view the communication from UC President, Michael V. Drake.