Update on testing communications and campus procedures

To: Managers and Supervisors

From: SHR Employee Relations Department

As previously announced, the University implemented mandatory asymptomatic testing at least every four (4) days for all unvaccinated employees who come on-site for any reason. This requirement is intended to support a safe work environment for all UCSC employees, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections, to support contact tracing of possible exposure, and to support employees who may have been exposed while at work.

The UC-wide mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy took effect on our campus on September 9, 2021. As managers and supervisors, we all share a responsibility to ensure our employees are compliant with the policy. This communication, in conjunction with the COVID Vaccine Policy FAQs, provides an overview of processes that UC Santa Cruz will implement to ensure policy compliance by all employees.

All unvaccinated staff employees who come on-site to any University location for any reason are required to test at least every four (4) days. This testing cadence applies to all staff employees, irrespective of the frequency in which employees are physically present at a University location or when they are representing a University program for work, research, or education/training related purposes.

Beginning Tuesday, November 30, 2021, your employee(s) who are required to test will receive an email notification every two (2) weeks regarding their next scheduled test due date, which you will be copied on as the direct supervisor. If the due date on the notification has already passed and the employee has been reporting to work, this indicates that the employee is not in compliance and is overdue for asymptomatic testing.

If an employee is overdue for their testing, immediate action should be taken to ensure the employee becomes compliant. Please direct your employees who are required to test to become immediately compliant by testing, and direct them to maintain their regular asymptomatic testing schedule every four (4) days. Employees should be provided with paid release time (up to 2 hours) and it is the responsibility of each supervisor/manager to ensure that employees are testing pursuant to the testing candance of at least every four (4) days.

We hope these communications will assist you and your staff employees to ensure compliance with testing requirements on a regular basis. Similar to the Daily Symptom Checker compliance process, we will be providing managers and supervisors with an outline of an established disciplinary process for testing compliance in the coming weeks. Should you have employees who are not following the testing requirements, please reach out to your Employee Relations Analyst to discuss how to address non-compliance.

Additionally, SHR Employee Relations will be conducting routine audits for compliance of staff employees who are required to undergo asymptomatic testing and will notify you of non-compliant employee(s), as applicable.

We appreciate your attention to this important matter. Thank you for doing your part to ensure compliance with our campus’s asymptomatic COVID-19 testing requirements and helping our campus community.

Enjoy the upcoming holiday season and stay well,