The University continues to closely monitor the ongoing Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID- 19) outbreak. The health and well-being of our community remains our number one priority. In response to the COVID- 19 outbreak, the University enacted temporary emergency academic leave protocols. The guidance below addresses special considerations for leaves taken by academic appointees as a result of COVID-19.
This remains a very fluid situation, and the guidance below may be updated at any time.
UCOP Provost Brown has approved this campus' proposal for a COVID-Related Caregiver Modified Duties (CCMD) program for a period of two years, from AY 2020-2021 through AY 2021-2022, with a possible adjustment after the first year. This program was designed to mitigate the struggle of campus faculty caregivers who are under the purview of Academic Personnel Manual 760-28. Please see COVID-Related Caregiver Modified Duties for more information. The CCMD program remains separate and distinct from systemwide and UC San Diego Active Service Modified Duties policies.
Please note the CCMD program has been extended through AY 2022-2023.
Appointees concerned about the impact of COVID-19 for their campus colleagues are invited to make vacation donations to the Catastrophic Leave Program on the behalf of impacted employees who've exhausted paid leave options.
Any type of leave listed above is eligible for use of this program should the requesting appointee's paid leave provisions be exhausted and adequate funding remains in the Catastrophic Leave Donation Bank.
To apply for catastrophic leave pay or learn about donating vacation leave, see:
Exclusively represented employees who meet the criteria may participate in the program to the extent provided in the applicable collective bargaining agreements.
Extended 2022 EPSL
Effective September 30, 2022, the University is extending the time available to use any remaining 2022 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) or 2021 EPSL entitlement from September 30, 2022 to December 30, 2022. Please note this extension does not include any increases to an individual’s allotment of 2022 or 2021 EPSL.
Emergency paid sick leave during the 2022 EPSL period, February 19, 2022 through December 30, 2022, may be used if one of six qualifying reasons prevents an employee form being able to perform their work, either under normal circumstances at their worksite or by means of telework.
Qualifying reasons for the 2022 EPSL period include:
The 2022 EPSL was established on February 19, 2022 and was in addition to the previously granted 2021 EPSL entitlement of 80-hours and the two-week equivalent for part time employees.
For additional information on maximum potential EPSL entitlements, appointee eligibility, qualifying reasons, and frequently asked questions, please access the September 30, 2022 (Fifth Issuance) of the Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Related Leaves document.
The 2022 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) Request Form can be accessed and downloaded by clicking here.
Please note, the University of California 2022 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Notice and Request Form replaces the previously used 2021 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Notice and Request Form.
Guidance on usage, restrictions, and authority as provided below under the section titled “2022 EPSL” and “2021 EPSL” still apply.
2022 EPSL
Effective February 19, 2022, the University is providing up to 80 hours of 2022 Emergency Paid Sick Leave (2022 EPSL) for full-time employees and the two-week equivalent for part-time employees.
Employees may use their 2022 EPSL entitlement retroactively to January 1, 2022.
Emergency paid sick leave during the 2022 EPSL period, February 19, 2022 through September 30, 2022, may be used if one of six qualifying reasons prevents an employee from being able to perform their work, either under normal circumstances at their worksite or by means of telework.
Qualifying reasons for the 2022 EPSL period include:
The 2022 EPSL entitlement is in addition to the previously granted 2021 EPSL entitlement of 80-hours and the two-week equivalent for part time employees.
Employees have until September 30, 2022 to use their new 2022 EPSL entitlement as well as any remaining hours from their 2021 EPSL entitlement.
For information on maximum potential EPSL entitlements, appointee eligibility, additional information on qualifying reasons, and frequently asked questions, please access the February 22, 2022 fourth issuance of the Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Related Leaves document by clicking here.
2021 EPSL
Q: What may Emergency Paid Sick Leave be used for?
A: EPSL hours are available to employees who are unable to work or telework for the reasons below:
Q: May an academic appointee elect paid leave related to COVID-19 past their pre-determined appointment end date?
A: No, consistent with applicable collective bargaining agreements and the APM, an academic appointee may not elect paid leave related to COVID-19 past their pre-determined appointment end date.
Q: For what dates may 2021 EPSL be requested and how does it relate to the earlier EPSL provision?
A: Appointees are able to take 2021 EPSL between March 29, 2021 and September 30, 2021. If an appointee took any leave between January 1, 2021 and March 28, 2021 for one or more of the EPSL qualifying reasons but was not paid as described in FAQ 17, the appointee may request that the University allow them to retroactively use EPSL. Also, any appointee who has an EPSL leave in progress on September 30, 2021, must be permitted to finish taking the amount of EPSL that they are entitled to receive.
Q: What is the rate of pay for EPSL?
A: The University has decided to pay appointees on EPSL at the appointee’s regular rate of pay. Although the law allows employers to place caps on pay for EPSL, the University has decided not to apply these caps.
Q: How are paid leave entitlements related to COVID-19 being funded? To which funding source should locations charge time when an academic appointee is determined to be eligible for paid leave?
A: Locations should charge paid leave to an academic appointee’s regular funding source unless instructed otherwise. There is no systemwide central source of funds.
Q: Can extramural funds be used to pay the salaries of academic appointees who cannot work remotely or whose work is limited due to COVID-19?
A: Please refer to UCOP’s Research and Innovation Office, Research Policy Analysis and Coordination’s webpage with current information from extramural funders and consult with your local Contracts & Grants/Sponsored Projects office.
Q: In what increments can EPSL be taken?
A: Non-exempt employees who are teleworking may take EPSL as a block leave or intermittently in increments of at least one hour.
Q: Will hourly academic appointees receive paid time off to receive the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine?
A: Yes, hourly academic appointees may take up to four hours of paid time to obtain each dose of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine. Appointees must provide advance notice to their supervisor. If an appointee needs more time for this purpose, the appointee may request EPSL (Reason 3(d)) for the additional time.
Q: Can academic appointees use EPSL if they get sick from side effects of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccine?
A: Yes, appointees may request EPSL (Reason 3(e)) for that purpose. If an appointee has exhausted their leave entitlements related to COVID-19 or opts not to use them, the appointee would be able to use accrued sick leave, vacation leave, and/or PTO.
Q: What documentation must be provided by the appointe for us?
A: For Faculty and academic appointees, an ALAS form signed by the appointee is required. The form should designate the leave type "Other," with leave dates and "COVID-19 EPSL" noted. The form must also indicate which of the six COVID-19 related applicable circumstances applies to the leave. Attached to this ALAS should be the 2021 EPSL Request Form. Note: Instructions and applicable circumstances are listed on the form for your reference.
Q: What documentation is my department or unti asked to provide to the administration at a later date?
A: Departments must keep a record of all COVID-19 related leaves taken on this UC San Diego COVID-19 Leave Tracking Spreadsheet template. Tracking is required for University, federal, and state audit purposes, as well as for potential government reimbursement.
Q: Some schools are operating on an alternate day (or other hybrid-attendance) basis. The school is open each day, but students alternate between days attending school in person and days participating in remote learning. The school only permits students to attend school on their asigned in-person attendance days. May eligible academic appointees use EPSL for Reason 5 in these circumstances?
A: Yes, an eligible academic appointee may use EPSL for Reason 5 on days when the school does not permit their child to attend school in person if the appointee is unable to work or telework for that reason. The school is effectively “closed” to the appointee’s child on days that the child cannot attend in person. An eligible appointee may take EPSL on each of their child’s remote learning days. As an example, an eligible academic appointee may take EPSL on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays if the school does not permit their child to attend school in person on those days.
Q: Some schools are giving parents a choice between having their children attend in person or participate in a remoate learning program. If an academic appointee elects remote learning for their child, can that appointee use EPSL for Reason 5 and/or EFML while their child is at home?
A: No. An academic appointee is not eligible to use EPSL for Reason 5 under these circumstances because the child’s school is not “closed” or otherwise unavailable due to COVID-19 reasons; it is open for the appointee’s child to attend. If an appointee’s child is home because the appointee has chosen for the child to remain home, the appointee is not entitled to EPSL for Reason 5.
Q: Who is the authority for 2021 EPSL?
A: The authority for EPSL is the same authority for non-exceptional academic leaves of the same duration.
Q: Am I able to take other types of leaves with pay, as applicable, during this time?
A: Yes. Campuses retain the ability to provide leave with pay as outlined in the APM or UC San Diego PPM.
Q: What documentation is needed when faculty or academic appointees have exhausted their leave entitlements related to COVID-19 and need other types of leaves?
A: Any academic leaves applied for other than leave entitlements related to COVID-19 should include the same documentation that such leave requests would normally require, according to standard processing guidelines.
Q: Is there a systemwide FAQ from UCOP with guidance regarding academic appointees temporarily teleworking internationally?
A: The UCOP program temporarily allowing telework from an international location ended as of September 30, 2021 and the supporting FAQ page was disabled. The program allowing case-by-case consideration for temporary international telework due to visa related issues also ended, as of December 31, 2021.
Q: What is the difference between the requirements for a Change in Work Location and those for a Temporary Remote Work Agreement (COVID-19)?
A: A Change in Work Location is a form of academic leave that involves a faculty member travelling during their service period to accomplish specific research goals unobtainable by summer travel or research in residence, or which must occur at a given particular time (i.e. plant only blooms in second week of April, series of conferences in this field happen only during March of each year etc.). Changes in Work Location only apply to eligible faculty titles and may only be taken during non-teaching quarters for a 60 day maximum duration. A Change in Work location often involves service to the university mission, such as accompaniment by graduate students for career development or field research.
Temporary Remote Work agreements were not academic policy related leaves but were instead agreements between an employee and their supervisor as to which duties would be expected from that appointee and what other considerations must be met for an effective remote working arrangement. Temporary Remote Work Agreements were put into place to give structure and definition to the work expected from remote academic appointees while the campus was operating remotely.
Q: I am unable to obtain authorization allowing me to work/report to work in the US, what are my options?
A: If you are unable to report to UC San Diego when your presence is required on campus or do not have authorization to work in the United States, you may be required to take an unpaid leave of absence or to defer your start date. Please discuss your specific situation with your Dean’s office as soon as possible.
Q: I was working remotely outside of California/outside the US and am unable or do not wish to return? What are my options?
A: The ordinary policies (PPM 230-10 II. M.) regarding work location apply, including the following:
For both academic-year and fiscal-year appointees, periods of academic recess (e.g., periods between quarters) include recess from formal classes, but not recess from research, committee and other administrative duties, or other university obligations
If you are unable to report to UC San Diego when your presence is required on campus you may be required to take an unpaid leave of absence or to defer your start date. Please discuss your specific situation with your Dean’s office as soon as possible in advance of being required to be in residence.
Q: How will COVID-19 related leaves impact my University benefits?
A: Generally, an employee granted a leave with pay will continue to receive benefits related to employment. For situations that involve leaves without pay, appointees may consult their local Benefits office for more guidance on the continuation of benefits.