June 6, 2020
To: Faculty, Staff, and Administrators
From: Cory Nomura, Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations; Donna Eddleman, University Dean of Student Affairs; and Jeremy Hammond, Director, Human Resources
Subject: Gradual Return to On-site Work
As state and county governments are progressively lifting COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, we are currently planning for a phased return of faculty, staff, and administrators to our campuses.
In approaching our return to onsite work, we have aimed to take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of our community. In addition, we seek to provide supervisors with the flexibility to accommodate the demands of specific work spaces as well as the needs of individual employees according to their personal and family situations.
While the number of COVID-19 cases has been declining, we are aware many concerns related to the pandemic are still with us. With that in mind, on the Redlands campus and regional campuses the University is currently:
Attached to this memo (and posted online in the Employment section of the Coronavirus FAQ page) are four documents that will guide us as we transition back to our University spaces:
Please review these documents carefully, as they contain important information about employee expectations and work options.
As the attached policies describe, supervisors may consider individual options in some circumstances both to maintain social distancing and accommodate individual needs that might include, for example:
Employees should coordinate with their supervisors.
We also ask that you contribute to the safety of our community through your actions.
For more information on prevention and safety protocols, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Next week, we will pilot a return to on-site work on the Redlands campus with one building, the Administration Building, beginning on Monday, June 8. If you work in this building, please consult with your supervisor about if you should report to work on-site or continue to work remotely. Doors to the building will remain locked, so arrangements will need to be made to meet visitors or accept deliveries at entrances.
Cabinet members will continue to work with Facilities Management to roll out our return to on-site work in other spaces across our Redlands campus, as well as U of R regional campuses.
We are confident that we can transition back to work in ways that ensure the safety of our community, respect individual circumstances, and support the mission of the University. Please direct questions to your supervisor, Human Resources, or a Cabinet member. For more information about the University’s COVID-19 response, see the Coronavirus FAQ webpage.