ANR to close Dec. 23-Jan. 2 for winter holidays

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News for UC Agriculture & Natural Resources employees.

Author: Pamela Kan-Rice

Published on: October 13, 2016

ANR Human Resources has announced this year's winter holiday closure schedule. ANR Units, including Research and Extension Centers, BOC Kearney, UCCE county offices and the Second Street Building in Davis, will be closed from Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, through Monday, Jan. 2, 2017, except for essential services. ANR offices will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2016. The schedule will be the same for ANR employees at UCOP.

ANR holidays will be observed on

Friday, Dec. 23, 2016; Monday, Dec. 26, 2016
Friday, Dec. 30, 2016; Monday, Jan. 2, 2017

December 27, 28 and 29, 2016, will be curtailment (closure) days. Employees will be given the option of using accrued vacation, compensatory time off (CTO), or leave without pay for the curtailment days. In the event an employee has not accumulated a sufficient amount of vacation time before December to cover the three days, arrangements can be made to allow those individuals to borrow against future vacation time.

Tags: holiday schedule (4), Human Resources (32), October 2016 (15)

Comments: 3

Comments:

by Jennifer Goerlitz

on October 14, 2016 at 11:38 AM

I prefer to use my vacation time during important family/life events, and not during dates dictated by UC. Who changed this policy? Not all of us are salaried employees. I am hoping someone can explain this to those of us who had the option to working during the closure dates the last few years.

Thanks and have a great weekend,

Jennifer Goerlitz
UCCE Calaveras County

by John Fox

on October 14, 2016 at 1:23 PM

Jennifer,
There has not been a policy change. Holiday closure/curtailment dates are announced under the authority of the Vice President of ANR, and the intent is for all employees to take the time off work unless there is a essential business need. Unit Directors can coordinate with ANR leadership if their local offices need to request an alternate schedule or if there are essential services that need to continue during the closure days.

John Fox
Human Resources

by Marcel Horowitz

on December 2, 2016 at 2:48 PM

Perhaps this is a policy that can be revisited? We were once told it was to "save energy", but as our thermostat does not go off during this time period, and electricity is paid for by the county, there are no savings. Later we were told it was basically like a furlough to save the UC salary funds during the recession. As neither of these are still valid arguments/needs for ANR, perhaps the rationale for the need necessitates a review?

I agree that it is somewhat unethical to tell employees when to take their vacation time. Perhaps this decision is better left to the County Director to make locally? Or it can be changed to 3 paid holidays, with everyone's actual monthly vacation accrual reduced to reflect this.

Thanks for considering,