Winter Holidays and Curtailment 2023/24

Dear Colleagues,

We are writing to share the Winter Holiday and Curtailment Day schedule for 2023/24 with you. Please note that the Academic Calendar accurately reflects the holidays listed below:

• Monday, December 25, 2023: Administrative & Academic Holiday
• Tuesday, December 26, 2023: Administrative & Academic Holiday
• Wednesday, December 27, 2023: Curtailment day
• Thursday, December 28, 2023: Curtailment day
• Friday, December 29, 2023: Curtailment day
• Monday, January 1, 2024: Administrative & Academic Holiday
• Tuesday, January 2, 2024: Administrative & Academic Holiday

Consistent with prior Winter Curtailments, here are the options for staff on the closure days:

• Use vacation leave accruals.  Any employee who earns vacation leave, but does not have sufficient accrued vacation leave to cover the three-day closure period, may use up to three days of vacation leave in advance of accrual to cover the closure days.
• Use Accrued Compensatory Time Off (CTO). Eligible non-exempt employees who have accrued CTO leave by working overtime may use such time. Information about CTO agreements for employees covered by labor agreements can be found at the People & Culture website under the section for the relevant collective bargaining agreement. Information about CTO for non-exempt employees in positions covered by the Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) program can be found at the UCOP website. 
• Take Leave Without Pay (LWOP). Managers will want to consider the impact of LWOP, particularly for part-time employees. For example, an employee in a half-time appointment who takes an LWOP may lose eligibility for certain benefits and/or holiday pay.
• Use other leaves if applicable. In most situations, Sick and Administrative Leave provisions are not intended for this purpose and should not be used to cover the closure period. An exception should be made for the employee who has been approved for extended sick leave due to serious illness or injury when the approved leave includes the closure period.
• Voluntarily adjust their work schedule. Departments may offer to adjust a work schedule for a part-time, non-exempt employee so that the employee satisfies the working hours appropriate to the appointment level, before the closure period. For example, an employee with a half-time appointment who works four hours a day could work one eight-hour day earlier in December. Please have employees confirm in writing that any such changes in schedule are voluntary.
• Collaborate with your manager/supervisor to work during curtailment. If your unit is closing during curtailment, but you want to work during curtailment, work with your manager to facilitate such work. Keep in mind, however, that we strongly encourage all employees to use this time for a much-needed break.

What should managers and supervisors do?

• Inform employees with high vacation balance hours that the holiday closure period is a convenient time for staff to use these hours.
• Decide what coverage your unit needs on reduced staffing days. Help employees plan for reduced staffing days by determining who wants to continue working on those days and making alternate work arrangements if needed.
• If departments require staff employees to work on any of the closure days (December 27, 28, 29, 2023), the time should be counted as regular hours of work for that day.
• If your unit is closing during curtailment, but an employee wants to work during curtailment, work with the employee to facilitate such work.
• Let employees know that they can use professional development time as an option on the closure days. This should be agreed upon in advance and is at the discretion of each manager.

Questions?
Managers with questions about the suitability of the alternatives above for staff, or how to proceed with these options, are encouraged to contact their HR Partner. 

Staff with questions about adjusting their work schedule in advance or about how to plan for working on reduced staffing days should talk with their manager.

Thanks,

Eugene 

Eugene Whitlock, Chief People & Culture Officer