COVID-19: Employee Information and Resources

Dear Colleagues,

 

In an effort to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our UC Merced community as we navigate COVID-19 together, I would like to share with you detailed information and guidance to help inform your actions in response to the coronavirus and mitigate its potential impacts on your professional and personal lives.

 

Working from Home

 

Leaders across campus have transitioned staff to full-time telecommute, retaining only limited on-site operations for critical functions. In most cases, telecommuting applies to administrative staff that are “non-designated.” Each leader is working with her/his respective managers and supervisors to communicate a workplan for the unit. The telecommuting initiative will stay in effect for approximately 30 days and will be re-evaluated as needed.

 

During this period, staff working from home are expected to be fully available for meetings and responsive to requests during normal business hours. There are many useful tools and resources to help employees stay connected, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business, among others. Check with your supervisor to see what your unit is utilizing.

 

Additional telecommuting resources can be found here .

 

Working Onsite

 

While many staff will be working from home, there are critical operations on campus that cannot be completed remotely. For those employees who are designated to be on campus, we thank you for being on the front lines and continuing to come to work during these unprecedented circumstances. Please be sure to safeguard your own health and that of others by taking personal precautions and practicing social distancing.

 

COVID-19 Administrative Leave

 

In accordance with President Napolitano’s Executive Order , effective March 1 through Dec. 31, 2020, employees will be eligible to receive up to 128 hours of paid administrative leave in order to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

These hours can only be used with prior approval from your supervisor and are designed to assist you if, for example: you or a family member becomes ill with COVID-19; you cannot come to work because of a COVID-19 related school or daycare closure; or you have been directed not to come into work for COVID-19 related reasons but you and your supervisor determine that it is not operationally feasible for you to work remotely.

 

These hours are only for employees who are unable to work, either on campus or remotely, because of hardships related to COVID-19. Please be mindful that many staff are urgently needed at this time to maintain the critical operations of the university, and that the use of these special administrative leave hours requires supervisor approval.

 

Recording and Coding of Administrative Leave

 

Paid administrative leave is intended to cover an employees regularly scheduled hours of work when an employee is impacted by their own COVID-19 related illness or meets other leave criteria outlined above. Employees who are less than 100% time will have their available hours prorated based on their regular work schedule.

 

Hourly paid employees who are working — either remotely or in the office — will continue to report their actual hours worked in the Time Reporting System (TRS). If you and your supervisor have determined use of the paid administrative leave is applicable, please use the provided code of 'Paid Leave (COVID19)' to report all hours subject to the leave.

 

Monthly paid employees will continue to report leave time — sick, vacation, etc. — in the Time Reporting System (TRS), including applicable use of authorized paid administrative leave. Employees will use the provided code of 'Paid Leave (COVID19)' in full day increments when applicable.

 

The 'Paid Leave (COVID19)' code will be available in the Time Reporting System (TRS) on or before the next bi-weekly timesheet due date of March 21, 2020.

 

Wellness Resources

 

We understand that members of our staff may be worried about the virus and may be experiencing heightened feelings of fear and anxiety. Here are some resources available to you to help with challenges surrounding this pandemic.

 

INSIGHT Employee Assistant Program (EAP) provides access to free, confidential counseling services for you or your family. You can contact them 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-422-5322 or via this link.

 

The INSIGHT EAP is a short-term, confidential counseling and referral service designed to help you and your eligible household family members resolve personal problems that may be interfering with your work and home life. UC Merced has arranged with Insight to provide EAP services to you at no cost. A summary of benefits includes:

 

 

When scheduling an appointment, please advise that you are calling through Insight EAP. Once the appointment is scheduled, call Insight back to advise which provider you selected so Insight may send an authorization. Once Insight EAP sends the provider your authorization, you will not need to present anything further at the appointment date. In most cases, once you have exhausted your EAP benefit, you can use your standard health benefit and corresponding co-payment to continue seeing the clinician.

 

Telehealth options are available. If you’d like to avoid going into the doctor’s office, all UC health plans offer phone and/or video options for getting medical advice and care. See below for more information about what your plan offers:

Additionally, we know that many of our staff are suddenly finding themselves in need of backup child care. Bright Horizons Care Advantage is a web-based resource to help you find and select pre-screened care for children, adults — even pets. You select the caregiver that’s right for you. Access to this resource is one of the benefits of working for UC Merced, but you are responsible for paying for the care or services you select.

 

Finally, but very important, please protect your health with these tips to prevent illness from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and review this help from UC health plans . If you do feel sick or have been in contact with others who are ill, please notify your manager and make sure you are following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on What to Do if You’re Sick .

 

I urge you to take good care of yourselves and support one another. We will continue to review these programs as often as necessary and will communicate any changes with you.

 

Thank you for your tireless dedication and resourcefulness. Working together, we will get through this difficult period.

 

Best,

 

Nicole Pollack

Assistant Vice Chancellor

Chief Human Resource Officer