Key Takeaways:
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Expect to continue working from home until June 30, 2021
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Check this decision tree if you or your manager are unsure if you need to be on-site
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If you’re returning to the workplace you must use the Daily Symptom Screener
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All employees working on-site must complete both the online Health & Safety Training and the online Health & Safety Guide.
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All employees working on-site must obtain a Flu Vaccine by November 1, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
As we enter the seventh month of the pandemic, we want to provide updates and direction on how we will continue to increase gradually our on-campus operations consistent with the orders issued by the public health authorities.
Those who can work from home should continue to do so
We anticipate that most employees who are working remotely right now will continue to work remotely through June 30, 2021, although that period could be shorter if pandemic conditions improve and longer if pandemic conditions worsen.
We expect managers, department chairs, and others with supervisory responsibility (“supervisors”) to do their best to limit the number of people who are required to come to campus. Supervisors will only be permitted to require the return to on-site work of those employees for whom being on site is necessary.
If you believe that you have been incorrectly designated as someone for whom working on campus is necessary, we ask that you please discuss the situation with your supervisor. If you are unable to resolve the situation, you should consult with Employee and Labor Relations or the Academic Personnel Office, as appropriate.
Requirements for employees approved to work on-site
Employees working on site must complete the two-part COVID-19 Health & Safety Training by (1) watching the 10 minute UC Berkeley Guidelines on Protecting Workers From COVID-19 and, (2) reviewing UC Berkeley’s COVID-19 Health and Safety Guide for Returning to the Workplace. In addition, as of November 1, 2020, all employees who access a UC property need to have obtained a flu vaccine or applicable exemption or accommodation. Check out People & Culture’s Flu Shot 2020 webpage for more details, including forms.
Employees not approved to work on-site but who want to return
We appreciate that some employees would like to return to their campus offices in the near future, but it will not be possible to accommodate all requests given a decision to keep the population density of campus buildings lower than normal throughout the fall and spring terms. Keeping the density low helps to slow the rate of potential COVID-19 transmission within our campus community. For this reason, many employees will likely be directed to work off-campus even if public health officials lift or lighten restrictions concerning on-site work.
We are still working hard to balance those very real needs with the pressing need to continue the work of our University and, as always, remain true to our mission.
Sincerely,
Eugene & Ben
Eugene Whitlock, Chief People and Culture Officer
Ben Hermalin, Vice Provost for the Faculty
This message was sent to all staff and faculty.