UC ANR COVID-19 Update: flu vaccine and COVID-19 leave options

New flu vaccine requirement

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, has issued a systemwide executive order requiring all members of the UC community to receive an influenza immunization before Nov. 1, 2020.

The executive order applies to UC ANR employees. Human Resources and Risk & Safety Services are working with ANR Leadership to develop guidelines for the ANR community. We will share more information as we confirm how the order will apply to ANR's many programs and workplaces.

A process will be put in place for UC ANR employees to request medical exemptions. Requests for disability or religious accommodations will be handled through the interactive process. Again, we will share information about the exception process in the coming weeks.

All UC medical plans include coverage for flu vaccinations at no cost to employees covered by the plan. In addition, for those without group health care coverage, all ACA-compliant health plans also cover flu vaccinations as part of a preventive care package that includes no copay.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the best source for information on this year's flu vaccination and when it will be available. According to the CDC, September and October are good times to get vaccinated.

See the announcement about the new flu vaccine requirement on UCNet at https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2020/08/new-flu-vaccine-requirement-for-uc-student-faculty-and-staff.html.

Reminder about COVID-19 leave options

As schools begin to reopen, we want to remind you of the leave options available to UC ANR employees (both staff and academic) whose ability to work at full capacity is impacted by the COVID-19 situation:

• COVID-19 Paid Administrative Leave – On March 16, President Napolitano issued an Executive Order outlining expanded paid administrative leave to address the extraordinary demands placed on UC employees due to impacts related to COVID-19 on themselves and their family members.
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) – Effective April 1, 2020, the FFCRA provides employees with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.
• Others – Eligible employees continue to have access to traditional options such as flexible work schedules and standard UC leave programs.

Human Resources is available to help employees and supervisors understand the leave options. The UC Office of the President has developed COVID-19 Related Leaves and Job Protections Guidance with detailed information. The leave options are complex, and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Should you have further questions, please contact Jodi Rosenbaum at jrosenbaum@ucanr.edu. 

Celebration corner

As Californians began hunkering down at home, they started growing their own food. In addition to gardening, people have begun adopting chickens for eggs. For those who have little to no experience raising poultry, UCCE Sonoma's Randi Black and Karen Giovannini collaborated with UCCE poultry specialist Maurice Pitesky in the School of Veterinary Medicine to create Poultry 101. Share their tips with new poultry parents: http://ucanr.edu/poultry101.

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

Read more