Vice Chancellor for Administration Marc Fisher sent the following message to the campus community on Thursday:
This week, the city of Berkeley joined together with six other Bay Area jurisdictions to extend the shelter-in-place order through May 3. In conjunction with this extension, additional restrictions have been put in place to further reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The challenge has been, and continues to be, that asymptomatic people can feel completely fine while unknowingly endangering others. Sheltering in place has proven to be the most effective method of slowing the spread of this virus.
UC Berkeley’s early action on sheltering in place appears to have been prudent. It’s important that we remain vigilant in our efforts and take additional measures to safeguard all of us in the UC Berkeley community. Below please find a list of updated administrative guidelines to manage the extended shelter-in-place order and to assist you in working remotely effectively.
Access to campus buildings
All campus buildings will be locked beginning on Friday, April 3 at 5 p.m. Card key access will no longer work after that time for non-essential employees. Employees requesting designation as an essential employee will require their supervisor and vice chancellor approval.Employees needing emergency access to buildings should contact the UC Police Department.
Announcing building closure may tempt some individuals to beat the deadline in an attempt to access work material or personal items. We strongly urge you to not come to campus. Provisions have been made for individuals who need ergonomic tools and peripherals from their office; please see details below.
Outdoor recreational facilities closed
Effective immediately, all outdoor recreational facilities at UC Berkeley are closed until further notice. This includes tennis courts, basketball courts, play structures, tracks, fields, and other areas. Please cooperate and stay away from these facilities to discourage the spread of COVID-19.
Temporary work-from-home agreement
If supervisors have not yet done so, they should share and request completion of the
Temporary Work from Home Agreement
with each employee who is working remotely.
Employees temporarily working outside of California
Department managers or HR personnel of staff and student employees who temporarily relocated out-of-state are
asked to complete and submit this form
. For now, these employees will continue to be paid without adjusting their current California payroll withholding.
If the shelter-in-place order is rescinded in the near future, a reconciliation for tax purposes may be needed to adjust an individual’s tax withholding to align with their work location of temporary residence. If the shelter-in-place order is extended even further, employee records may need to be adjusted in UCPath to reflect the tax withholding of the location in which employees are working.
International Employees
Employees on a non-immigrant status choosing/or having chosen to temporarily relocate to an address that is not within the normal commuting distance to the worksite and/or outside the country should also inform the
Berkeley International Office
as soon as possible of their new address.
Ergonomic tips and resources for remote work
The proper ergonomics design of your computer workstation is important if you are working on campus or at home. University Health Services has
ergonomics information, resources and limited matching funds
to help you set up your remote workstation, including a
list of pre-approved ergonomic products
,
instructions for purchasing and home delivery
.
Additional tips for working remotely
The Office of People & Culture (formerly central Human Resources) has compiled a web resource with a curated list of
tips and resources for working remotely.
COVID-19 updates
The
UC Berkeley coronavirus site
continues to be updated regularly. Please check the site regularly for the latest information on this evolving situation and for an archive of past messages.
We understand that sheltering in place and working remotely is challenging but this is being cited as the most effective action we can take to combat the pandemic. Early action has proven effective; continued action will be key. Please accept my heartfelt appreciation for your individual actions in helping the university navigate this challenge. I am confident that we will get through this difficult period and emerge stronger from it.