Posts Tagged: vaccine

Remote work guidelines amended; flu vaccine mandate

UC ANR Remote Work Guidelines amended with limitations to out-of-state residency 

Many employees have requested flexible work arrangements that would provide opportunities to (1) work remotely from home or another location that is outside of their official post of duty, and/or (2) work flexible hours that vary from the traditional “8 to 5.” That said, the success of UC ANR's research and extension work and related outcomes relies upon building and maintaining trusted relationships within our communities.

UC ANR is funded and supported by the people of California. As the cooperative extension arm of the University, UC ANR's role is to bring vital, practical, science-based information to California land and business owners, consumers, youth, families, and whole communities. Successful extension efforts are built upon trust that is developed through community interaction over time. While the organization was forced to engage remotely during the peak of COVID shut-downs, permanent remote engagement undermines UC ANR's ability to effectively deliver its cooperative extension mission.   

Given the need for in-person engagement, it should be assumed that all UC ANR personnel will reside within the state of California, with only a few rare, temporary exceptions as outlined in the Revised UC ANR Remote Work Guidelines. In the rare and unlikely event that out-of-state residency is absolutely necessary for effective UC ANR operations, those exception requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Those who supervise others, CE Specialists, CE Advisors, Community Educators or anyone in a community engagement role are not eligible for an out-of-state exception other than as listed in the Guidelines.  

All exceptions will need to be approved by the employee's supervisor, the Unit Director, the unit's Associate Vice President, and UC ANR Human Resources. Those that have already moved out of state should contact their supervisor for further information.

Flu vaccine mandate

President Drake issued an Executive Order on October 8 requiring all covered UC students, faculty, other academic appointees and staff to, by Nov. 19, 2021, get vaccinated against influenza or opt out using a form supplied by their location.

UC ANR leadership is in discussion with the Office of the President about how the information on vaccination will be collected and will provide further instructions when available. If you get vaccinated before further instructions are shared, please collect a receipt.

If you have questions about the mandate, please contact Dave Ritz.

UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Masks remain a requirement; flu vaccine requirement update

Masks remain a requirement for UC ANR personnel while working on-site or in the field 

In response to recent updates of public health guidance concerning use of masks by the general public in certain outdoor settings, we have updated and clarified UC ANR's requirements for employees to wear a mask while working onsite or in the field. With limited exceptions, employees are still required to wear a mask when working indoors and when working outdoors and less than 6 feet away from other persons. This requirement is based on the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards and will remain in place until these standards are changed.  

While the rate of COVID-19 cases has declined substantially in all areas of the state, there are still people contracting this illness, and we all need to maintain vigilance with safety protocols to reduce the potential of COVID-19 cases occurring in our workplaces or programs. These protocols include symptom screening, maintaining distance from other persons, wearing masks, using hygienic practices, and limiting the size of gatherings. As we return to more in-person activities in the office, field sites, and in the community, many of these protocols will need to continue, with some adaptations. Changes to the Cal/OSHA standards have recently been proposed and may result in revision of this and other workplace safety protocols in the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor changes in public health guidance and worker protection standards and revise UC ANR's COVID-19 prevention protocols accordingly.

Flu vaccine requirement update

As you know, President Drake issued an executive order requiring employees and students who are working or learning on UC properties to get a flu vaccination by November 1, 2020. 

The UC requirement for influenza vaccination ended on April 30, 2021. A determination has not yet been made whether the influenza immunization requirement will be continued for the 2021-2022 academic year. Any changes or continuation of that requirement will be announced at a later date.

Feel free to contact humanresources@ucanr.edu for additional information.

 

Flu vaccination reminder, UC ANR modifies COVID-19 safety standards

Flu vaccination reminder 
Beginning November 1, 2020, an influenza vaccination is required for all employees accessing any UC ANR location, unless they receive an approved medical exemption or a religious or disability accommodation. The flu vaccination is encouraged for all employees and their families by November 1. 

See http://ucanr.edu/fluvaccine for information about how UC ANR will implement the executive order for our employees and workplaces. The page has been updated to include benefits of flu vaccination and information in Spanish. The UC ANR web page also links to a FAQs for all UC employees on UCnet, which has recently been expanded to include new questions (for example, nasal vaccines being an option for those with needle phobias, and vaccination requirements for contractors).   

UC ANR modifies COVID-19 safety standards 
UC ANR's Emergency Response Team (ERT) has released the latest modifications to UC ANR's COVID-19 Safety Standards. This update is based on the state's 4-tier Blueprint for a Safer Economy and the industry guidance for Institutes of Higher Education. The modifications update UC ANR's 5 basic safety protocols that must be followed for all in-person activities. The most notable change is a new approach to allowing and managing some meetings, programs, or workshops held by ANR employees or volunteers, with new limits on capacity that are based on a location's County risk tier status and the occupancy rating of the meeting space. 

Please review the Modified COVID-19 Safety Standards, Addendum #3 and assess the applicable risk tier for your location. If your programs are ready to allow increased occupancy for meetings or other gatherings, then you can work with your County, REC or Statewide Program Director to update your Location Safety Plan to reflect these changes in operations and safety protocols. 

We emphasize that no location, program or employees should feel pressured to resume in-person operations if they cannot do so safely and in full compliance with UC ANR's COVID-19 safety standards. These modifications to our safety standards are intended to provide the framework and guidance for a UC ANR location to use, based on the state's COVID-19 guidance and the local conditions in your community. As always, UC ANR Directors and program managers must also be aware of and abide by any local County Health Orders that may be more restrictive than these standards. Locations should be prepared to return to stricter protocols if there is a change in statewide or local COVID-19 risk, safety standards, or site-specific exposure or other operational concerns that may require a temporary closure. 

Brian Oatman 
Director, Risk & Safety Services

New flu vaccine FAQs; travel funds available for UCCE specialists; Zoom changes

New flu vaccination FAQs
To support the health and well-being of UC students, faculty and staff and our communities, the University of California, in consultation with UC Health leadership, issued a systemwide executive order requiring all members of the UC community to receive an influenza immunization before Nov. 1, 2020.

In addition to protecting ourselves, this requirement is designed to avoid a surge of flu cases at health care facilities across the state during the unprecedented public health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

UC ANR has published Answers to frequently asked questions with information about how UC ANR will implement the executive order for our employees and workplaces.

Please take time get the flu vaccination soon.

 

Travel funds available for UCCE specialists
UC ANR will be making additional travel support available for UC Cooperative Extension specialists to collaborate directly with UCCE advisors or REC directors in fiscal year 2020-21. 

With the level of funds available, each specialist may apply for up to $1,800 for FY 2020-21 (travel reports must be submitted within 45 days of travel, and funds must be expended by June 30, 2021). These travel funds must be utilized by the UCCE specialists only and cannot be used for out-of-state travel. Funding is not for the purpose of presenting at or attending meetings.

Completing a short online survey is the only step to apply for these funds. A brief survey form is accessible from your ANR Portal. The direct link is http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=32069.

The survey asks 

• Name and title of specialist requesting support
• Project/program name
• Brief project description (one paragraph)
• Collaborating advisors

While there is no deadline for applications for these travel funds, they are first come, first awarded. They also must be expended in fiscal year 2020-21. Any travel completed toward the end of the fiscal year must be submitted and approved within the fiscal year, as no award will be carried forward.

UCCE specialists may apply for funds directly at http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=32069.

 

Zoom changes
Starting Sept. 27, Zoom will require all sessions to have either a passcode or a waiting room where guests gather until admitted by the host (a waiting room is the default option). The change is part of Zoom's security improvements. Zoom has posted FAQs at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360045009111.

 

Celebration corner
Congratulations to our colleagues who were honored at the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) Virtual Annual Session!

• Deepa Srivastava and the UCCE Tulare-Kings Nutrition Education team are the second place Western Region winners of the SNAP-ED/EFNEP award
• Mary Blackburn received the NEAFCS Hall of Fame Award
• Mary and her role on the CalFresh Healthy Living, CNAP in Alameda County are the 3rd Place Regional winner of the Community Partnership award. She has served in this role since 2006.

 

While we all continue to shelter in place, it's a good time to learn more about food safety. Erin DiCaprio, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist in Community Food Safety in the UC Davis Food Science and Technology Department, created an 11-module online series of her Food Safety Training for Master Food Preserver Trainees and partnered with colleagues at North Carolina State University to create nine peer-reviewed fact sheets answering COVID-19-related questions about takeout food, food safety, handling groceries and more.

 

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

New artificial intelligence institute, flu vaccine FAQs, unauthorized survey

New artificial intelligence institute 
I am very pleased to announce that with a $20 million award from the National Science Foundation and several federal agencies, UC ANR is collaborating with UC Davis and other institutions to create a new artificial intelligence institute for next-generation food systems.

The farming/food industry is experiencing a technology revolution. Digital, biological and mechanical innovations are being applied to solve long-standing challenges such as the impacts of climate change, ensuring food and nutrition security, and sustainable and profitable crop production. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to most of these innovations, as they all have one common attribute: they produce and consume large amounts of data. AI is a way to put the large amount of data we have to work for us, making computers and machines smarter and more effective.

The USDA-NSF AI for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) puts UC ANR in a leading role with UC Davis, UC Berkeley, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Cornell in developing AI-based technology for the food system, but perhaps more importantly in applying them in real-world situations, training a next-generation workforce, and engaging the public in their value.

UC ANR staff and academics will have the opportunity to engage with AIFS through virtual and live events, research, extension and commercialization projects, workforce development activities and more. In many ways, AIFS will be a new support center for UC ANR staff and academics, helping to provide the latest training and tools for UC ANR's Cooperative Extension and outreach activities in California and beyond.

Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer and Maggi Kelly, director of UC ANR's IGIS will be the primary UC ANR AIFS contacts. In the coming weeks, AIFS will provide further information about events and ways to engage. Please reach out to gdyoutsey@ucanr.edu to express your interest in getting more information as AIFS is launched.

Flu vaccine FAQs 
UCOP has published frequently asked questions concerning the 2020-21 UC influenza vaccination order requiring employees to be vaccinated by November 1, 2020. I encourage you to review them at 
https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/coronavirus/frequently-asked-questions-for-employees-about-the-2020-21-uc-influenza-vaccination-order.html.

Unauthorized survey 
UCOP Communications has learned that an outside market research firm, Consumer Evaluation & Insights, recently sent a survey about UC's flu vaccination policy to a number of UC faculty and staff with the subject line “Share your opinion on the UC Flu Vaccine requirement.” Please be aware this survey was not authorized or commissioned by UC, and you are under no obligation to complete it. 

Additionally, because data from this survey is being collected by an external organization, UC cannot make any assurances regarding the use, privacy or security of any information you provide.

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

 

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