This message was sent to all staff and faculty.
Dear Colleagues,
In recognition of the many challenges that UC employees continue to face, UCOP has decided to offer all its employees, including represented employees, an additional 2021 allotment of Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) - available for use immediately.
This additional EPSL is more generous than the federal law governing EPSL would require, and more generous than the COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave signed into law by Governor Newsom on March 19, 2021.
UCOP’s 2021 EPSL is available to employees who are unable to work or telework for the reasons below, which include those specified in the original EPSL provisions and a few additions:
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Reason 1: The employee is subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID 19.
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Reason 2: The employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.
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Reason 3:
a) The employee is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is seeking a medical diagnosis from a health care provider;
b) New: The employee has been exposed to COVID-19 and is seeking or awaiting the results of a diagnostic test for, or a medical diagnosis of, COVID-19;
c) New: The University has requested that the employee obtain a diagnostic test for, or a medical diagnosis of, COVID-19, and the employee is seeking or awaiting those results;
d) New: The employee is obtaining immunization related to COVID-19; or
e) New: The employee is recovering from an injury, disability, illness, or condition related to obtaining immunization related to COVID-19.
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Reason 4: The employee is caring for an individual who is either subject to a federal, state, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19 or who has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.
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Reason 5: The employee is caring for their child whose school or place of care has closed (or whose child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19.
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Reason 6: The employee is experiencing any other substantially similar condition specified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Full-time employees may take up to 80 hours of EPSL, while those who are part-time may take up to the two-week equivalent. As before, employees will receive their regular rate of pay during EPSL. Although the law allows employers to place caps on pay for EPSL, UCOP has once again decided not to apply these caps.
An employee may request EPSL by speaking to their supervisor or by submitting a completed 2021 EPSL Request Form to their supervisor. EPSL is available from March 29, 2021, through September 30, 2021.
If an employee took any unpaid leave between Jan. 1, 2021, and March 28, 2021 that could have qualified for EPSL leave, the employee may submit a retroactive request to use EPSL by submitting a completed 2021 EPSL Request Form to their supervisor and informing them it is a retroactive request. If paid leave was used (e.g. sick or vacation leave), a retroactive request to use EPSL may not be submitted.
If an employee has an EPSL leave in progress as of Sept. 30, 2021, the employee will be allowed to finish taking the amount of EPSL that they are entitled to receive.
Please read the Frequently Asked Questions on page 2 of this document from UCOP if you need additional information, or contact your HR Business Partner. A document with guidance for academic employees may be found here, or contact your HR Business Partner or unit’s Academic Personnel Analyst. In addition, guidance for supervisors of academics may be found here.
Thanks,
Eugene
Eugene Whitlock, Chief People and Culture Officer