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ANR Update
UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Telecommute timeframe and paid administrative leave
Extended Telecommute Timeframe:
As you know, UC campuses, the UC Office of the President and UC ANR are working to protect our community by issuing guidance to minimize face-to-face interactions, reduce commuting and travel, and enable social distancing. On March 16, six Bay Area counties announced shelter-in-place orders, and the UC Office of the President in Oakland extended their telecommute date through least April 7 to align with county directives. UC ANR has also adjusted the proposed end date for our telecommuting and limited on-site operations status to April 7 in order to align with UCOP. Please keep in mind that the end date will likely continue to fluctuate and bear with us as we work to communicate changes.
UC Paid Administrative Leave Guidance:
President Napolitano issued updated guidance on March 16 outlining expanded paid administrative leave to address the extraordinary demands placed on UC employees and their families due to COVID-19. The executive order makes all employees eligible to receive a one-time allotment of up to 128 hours of paid administrative leave to be used no later than December 31, 2020, based on certain conditions. UC ANR HR will be providing more information on the application of this guidance in the coming days. In the meantime, please contact John Fox with any questions regarding this topic.
Letter to UC Community from President Napolitano:
Please see today's communication from President Napolitano here. I echo her sentiments about our amazing UC community and all of your efforts to work through these challenges. Thank you!
As always, please stay healthy and safe, stay up to date and reach out with any questions or concerns.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
Look for ANR@Work Survey today
On March 17, each academic and staff member will receive an email from “Glenda Humiston <satsurvey@ucanr.edu” containing a unique link to the survey. Please do not delete the emailed invitation, as it will be the only way to access the survey and cannot be replaced.
The UC ANR community is founded on principles strengthened by common goals, shared interests, camaraderie and a passion for improving the quality of life in all communities. We all have the right to work in an environment that promotes fairness, trust, respect, and physical and emotional safety and security. Your anonymous survey responses will contribute to our efforts to create the best possible work environment for all of us.
To thank you for your time and to encourage participation, everyone who completes the survey will have the option to participate in a raffle for a $75 gift card. We will award 40 gift cards through random drawings during the survey period.
The survey is being administered by UC San Diego; they have been administering a similar survey for more than 20 years on their campus.
We plan to repeat the survey annually for at least five years. The 2020 survey results will establish a baseline for continually assessing UC ANR's work environment.
If you have questions about the survey, please contact us at satsurvey@ucanr.edu.
John Fox
Human Resources Executive Director
UC ANR COVID-19 Update: New protective measures; Thursday, March 19, all ANR Zoom meeting 1:30 p.m.
Dear Colleagues:
As you all know, national, state and local agencies have been implementing various measures to reduce the rate and risk of community spread of COVID-19. Many California counties, businesses and school districts have implemented remote working protocols and six Bay Area counties today issued a shelter in place order. All UC locations are also implementing protective measures. Last week, UC ANR offices in Davis, Berkeley and at the Office of the President in Oakland began implementing telecommute and limited on-site operations protocols. A number of our County Extension offices have also been impacted.
Starting today, March 16, all other UC ANR locations and programs will begin moving in phases to telecommuting and limited on-site operations status with the goal of having all functions, events, activities, meetings, etc. either postponed, canceled or moved to Zoom, and all employees working remotely by Friday, March 20, (with the exception of designated essential on-site staff/academics). This directive also includes all volunteer-led youth or adult programming, meetings or gatherings.
Important: the guidelines for your County or for a specific UC Campus must be followed if they are more restrictive than that of UC ANR. Please consult your County Director or Campus Dean for more information.
This guidance will stay in effect through close of business on April 7, 2020, and may be extended. UC ANR academics and staff will continue to operate on their normal business hours unless otherwise specifically stated.
Please read the detailed guidance that is posted at https://ucanr.edu/sites/safety/files/321853.pdf.
The goal of this decision is to support all UC ANR employees, volunteers, and our broader communities by reducing the risk of community spread through minimization of face-to-face interactions, reduction in commuting and travel, and an increase in social-distancing. This phased approach reduces risk by immediately reducing the number of people in UC ANR offices, facilities, and activities. This also ensures that those required to remain on-site for any period of time will also be at lower risk.
UC ANR's emergency response team is committed to providing the most up-to-date information available and we appreciate your patience as we navigate this rapidly changing environment.
Please also note that the all-hands meeting this Thursday, March 19, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. will be conducted on Zoom at https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/530365395 or (669) 900-6833 or (646) 558-8656 Webinar ID: 530 365 395.
This is an unprecedented situation, but there is an opportunity within all the challenges: We will find new ways to leverage technology to deliver our important programs and information to Californians.
Thank you for everything you do!
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
Updated new coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, the situation regarding the new coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve in California and around the world. Our top priority is the health and safety of our community and the public at large. To that end, UC ANR is following the guidance of state and local Departments of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Please stay up-to-date with U.S. State Department advisories and CDC's travel health notices related to COVID-19.
In addition, the UC Office of the President has activated its Emergency Operations Center, and is holding frequent conference calls, including medical, environmental health and safety, administrative, and emergency management leadership from across the entire UC system to ensure a coordinated and timely response to this fluid situation.
The University of California revised its instructions on travel on March 5, including countries that UC travelers should avoid, based on CDC travel health alerts. Please consider the potential for additional countries to be added to the restricted travel list which could result in unplanned mandatory quarantine periods upon return to the U.S. We encourage limiting non-essential domestic and international travel.
We are monitoring the situation closely, in partnership with our systemwide colleagues, and taking steps to prepare for potential location closures or social distancing measures. At the present time, no UC ANR locations have been closed, but unit/office leaders are preparing plans including ensuring that employees have what they need to work remotely. We are advising maximum flexibility in allowing UC ANR staff members to work remotely. The attached FAQ document provides additional important guidance for supervisors related to staff and work environment during this crisis.
Many of you are asking if you should cancel or avoid events. Please follow the CDC guidance to postpone or cancel mass gatherings or large community events, and to avoid attending mass gatherings. Where possible, leverage the use of technology in lieu of in-person large meetings or gatherings. It is especially important for people at higher risk to avoid mass gatherings. Those at higher risk include:
- Older adults. The risk is believed to escalate with age, with persons over age 80 in the highest risk category.
- People who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or lung diseases, as well as those with severely weakened immune systems.
For more information on “People at Risk for Serious Illness From COVID-19,” see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html.
Most UC ANR outreach events are not mass gatherings; for smaller gatherings, follow local guidance from your county's public health department. Counties have different guidance depending on the degree of risk, so responses need to be customized to address the local situation and type of activity. Contact Brian Oatman in Risk and Safety Services if you are unsure about the guidance in your location.
Because coronavirus is not an airborne virus but rather is transmitted by droplets that live on surfaces, it is advised to eliminate breakfast and lunch buffets where attendees can serve themselves, to avoid physical contact such as handshaking or hugs, to provide an ample supply of disinfecting wipes on meeting room tables, and of course to follow all guidelines set forth by certified public health officials.
We must count on event participants to use their best judgment in deciding whether or not to attend events; attendees should be alerted that if they have any signs of illness, including but not limited to coughing, sneezing, sore throat, fever, chills, etc., within the two weeks prior to an event they should not attend for their safety and the safety of others.
When considering postponing, canceling or rescheduling events, consider the following:
- Duration of event
- Venue type (open air vs. closed space)
- Demographics of participants
- Complexity of event operations
- Types of on-site services and activities available
If event organizers choose not to postpone, cancel, or reschedule, they should be prepared to implement the following prevention strategies, based on the advice of public health officials:
- Distribute health messages about COVID-19 to event staff and participants ahead of event and on event materials distributed during the event. Encourage people to stay home if they are sick.
- Make sure that hand-washing facilities are readily available and if possible, have hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes available.
- Develop flexible refund policies for participants.
- Be prepared to separate those who become sick at your event from those who are well.
- Identify actions to take if you need to postpone or cancel.
Please see the CDPH guidance for event organizers or the CDC web site for the most current information about precautions and prevention in the community.
Finally and most importantly, it is crucial for all members of the UC ANR community to follow the recommendations for preventive care which have the greatest likelihood of protecting us as individuals as well as the larger community by diminishing the chances of transmission of the virus:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, or, as an alternative, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Stay home if you are sick and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
In addition, it is recommended that people practice good health habits: get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. If you have not received your annual flu shot, please schedule one with your provider to help protect yourself against the flu. And do not smoke or use e-cigarettes.
Please review the FAQ for additional guidance and contact Brian Oatman, director of Risk and Safety Services, or John Fox, executive director of Human Resources, if you have any questions.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
Revisions to Protection of Human Subjects in Research policy up for comment
The University of California invites comments on proposed revisions to Presidential Policy on Protection of Human Subjects in Research.
This policy describes the responsibilities of the university, its campuses and researchers in protecting the rights and welfare of human subjects who participate in research at UC.
The policy includes the following key revisions:
- An explanation of the ethical principles that the university follows for human subjects research.
- A statement that the university's commitment to human subjects applies to all human subjects research in which the University is engaged, regardless of funding source or the institution that provided the IRB (Institutional Review Board) review.
- An explanation that campuses may replace specific Common Rule requirements with commensurate protections for human subjects when the university is engaged in research that is not subject to the Common Rule (e.g., research that is not federally funded or otherwise subject to federal oversight).
- A description of the responsibilities of the campuses, IRBs, other oversight offices and committees, and researchers for compliance with this policy.
The proposed policy is posted at https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/Administration/Business_Operations/Controller/Administrative_Policies_-_Business_Contracts/Policy_and_administrative_handbooks/ANR_Administrative_Handbook/Recent_Updates/
If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu no later than June 3, 2020. Please indicate “Protection of Human Subjects in Research” in the subject line.
