University of California, Berkeley

Holiday Energy Curtailment 2012-13 - Options for Staff, Supervisors, and Managers

The annual energy curtailment will occur this year between Monday, December 24, 2012 and Tuesday, January 1, 2013. In addition, managers and supervisors may want to consider employee requests to take leave time on January 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in order to have a full two-week break from campus job responsibilities.

  • Monday, December 24, 2012: Holiday
  • Tuesday, December 25, 2012: Holiday
  • Wednesday, December 26, 2012: Closure Day
  • Thursday, December 27, 2012: Closure Day
  • Friday, December 28, 2012: Closure Day
  • Monday, December 31, 2012: Holiday
  • Tuesday, January 1, 2013: Holiday

If departments require staff employees to work on any of the closure days (December 26, 2012, December 27, 2012 or December 28, 2012), the time should be counted as regular hours of work for that day.

There are different options available to staff employees during the closure period as listed below. Department managers with questions about the suitability of different alternatives are encouraged to contact their appropriate Human Resources representative for advice. Human Resources representatives with policy questions regarding the closure period may wish to contact central Human Resources for advice by telephone at (510) 642-7163 or by email to askeru@berkeley.edu.

  • Vacation leave. All staff employees may use accrued vacation leave during the three closure days. Any employee who earns vacation leave, but does not have sufficient accrued vacation leave to cover the three-day closure period, may use up to three days of vacation leave in advance of accrual to cover the closure days.
  • Use of Accrued Compensatory Time Off (CTO). Eligible non-exempt employees who have accrued CTO leave by working overtime may use such time to cover the three closure days. Information about CTO agreements for employees covered by labor agreements can be found at the following website address under the section for the relevant collective bargaining agreement. Information about CTO for non-exempt employees in positions covered by the Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) program can be found via At Your Service.
  • Leave Without Pay. Employees may take Leave Without Pay. Managers will want to consider the impact of a Leave Without Pay, particularly for part-time employees. For example, an employee in a half-time appointment who takes a Leave Without Pay may lose eligibility for certain benefits and/or holiday pay.
  • Other Leaves. Please note that, in most situations, Sick and Administrative Leave provisions are not intended for this purpose and should not be used to cover the closure period. An exception should be made for the employee who has been approved for extended sick leave due to serious illness or injury when the approved leave includes the closure period.
  • Voluntary Schedule Adjustment. Departments may offer to adjust a schedule for a part-time, non-exempt employee so that the employee satisfies the working hours appropriate to the appointment level, prior to the closure period. For example, an employee with a half-time appointment who works four hours a day could work one eight-hour day earlier in December. Please have employees confirm in writing that any such changes in schedule are voluntary.

Managers and supervisors are encouraged to check maximum vacation accrual leave balances to ensure that employees avoid reaching the allowable maximum. The holiday closure period is a convenient time for staff to use these hours.

Please feel free to contact your appropriate Human Resources representative if you have any questions about how to proceed with the suggested options provided above or if the circumstances in your department require special arrangements.