Holiday Closing Period

Paula Varnes Fussell, Interim Vice President for Human Resource Services

I am pleased to announce that this academic year the university will observe Friday, January 2, 2009, as a holiday in addition to the regular December and New Year holidays. This decision was based on the proximity of that date to the holiday closing period which runs from December 25, 2008, through January 1, 2009. Adding January 2, 2009, to our holiday schedule will allow us to reduce our energy consumption for a total of 11 days, which will result in significant cost savings for the university.

The holiday closing period is designed to offer departments the flexibility to close or significantly reduce staffing during the holiday season as decided by the appropriate vice presidents working with deans, directors, and department chairs in their areas. Since January 2 would otherwise be the only day that non-essential employees would be required to report to work during that period, President Machen has approved this day as a holiday for all employees.

College of Medicine clinics located on the Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses will be open January 2, 2009; therefore, faculty and staff who have clinic responsibilities are expected to report for work.

All TEAMS employees and 12-month Academic Personnel will be credited with four personal leave days to be used when possible during the period of December 26 through December 31. UF vice presidents—working with deans, directors, and department chairs—will determine which TEAMS employees and 12-month Academic Personnel are considered essential personnel and, therefore, will be required to work to support campus operations. HSC faculty, staff, and students assigned to the Gainesville and Jacksonville campuses who have clinic responsibilities must check with their respective colleges/departments/clinics to determine their work requirements during the December 26 through December 31 time period.

USPS employees are not eligible for the four personal leave days between December 26 and December 31, but they may be required to use vacation or accrued compensatory leave during the holiday closing period if a department chooses to close or upon supervisory request.

In the event a USPS employee does not have accrued vacation leave to cover the period, he or she may request that vacation leave be advanced to cover that absence, in which case the department is obligated to provide such leave. The holiday closing period is the only time during which vacation leave may be advanced. USPS employees also may use leave without pay, in keeping with University of Florida policy, during this time.

For planning purposes, I recommend that you initiate discussions to determine which departments and work units will be closed or to what extent departments and work units will be closed during the December 26 through December 31 time period. I also recommend that you identify those employees who will be designated “essential,” determine whether USPS employees will be required to take time off during this period, and share this information with employees in your area. Additional information on the holiday closing period will be provided in the InfoGator for Department Administrators later this week.

For additional information, please contact Leave Administration at (352) 392-5732 or central-leave@ufl.edu.

From the Office of Human Resource Services, we wish you a joyous and safe holiday season.