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1. Are postdocs permitted to temporarily telework from overseas?
Postdocs are only permitted to temporarily telework from overseas if they were given a new postdoctoral scholar appointment but unable to obtain proper entry permit/work authorization due to COVID pandemic or other travel restrictions and unable to travel to the United States.
The expectation is that the postdoc who is currently based overseas should make every effort to secure the proper entry permit/work authorization as soon as possible, even if the University of California continues with remote instruction/work.
2. Will postdocs who are permitted to temporarily telework from overseas be permitted to do so moving forward?
Postdoctoral Scholars who are permitted to temporarily telework from overseas may not be able to continue to do so due to federal and international regulations. Postdoc should consult with their department and department should consult with Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs.
As noted above, the expectation is that the postdoc who is currently based overseas should make every effort to secure the proper entry permit/work authorization and return to the United States as soon as possible.
3. Can someone currently residing in the United States choose to relocate and telework from overseas?
Generally, no. Postdocs who are currently residing in the United States and have the proper entry permit/work authorization, will not be permitted to choose to permanently relocate and telework from overseas due to federal and international regulations.
Some postdocs may be able to temporarily relocate overseas if they are on an approved leave such as Personal Time Off (PTO) or unpaid leave of absence.
4. What other approvals are required to temporarily work abroad?
In addition to complying with HR/AP remote work abroad policies, applicants must comply with University policies and practices related to cybersecurity, export control and if applicable, sponsored projects to work remotely abroad.
Please also be aware of the following:
To initiate the Remote Work Abroad Compliance review process, please complete the UC San Diego Remote Work Compliance Review form on the Kuali Build portal. Within the system, the applicant will complete and certify the IT security questions, the mentor will complete and certify the Export Control questions, and appropriate offices (e.g. IT Security, Export Control, Sponsored Projects) will review and approve the completed form. Please be advised that approval by the compliance units is one part of the process and does not automatically authorize the academic to work remotely abroad.
UC San Diego is committed to the health and safety of all. The most important measure to prevent flu infection is an annual flu vaccination, and it is even more important during a pandemic. Similar to the steps we take to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection such as wearing a face covering, physical distancing, and good hand hygiene, getting an annual flu vaccination helps stop the spread of influenza in the community in addition to protecting you and your campus community.
The University of California has issued a systemwide executive order requiring all members of the UC community to receive an influenza immunization before November 1, 2020 if they plan to be on campus or in person at any UC location. In order to be on campus or otherwise in person at any UC location starting November 1 and after, you will need to attest that you have received the flu vaccine or have received an approved medical exemption or disability or religious accommodation. Please also see these University of California frequently asked questions and our local UC San Diego Campus frequently asked questions for more information about the executive order.
Employees are encouraged to get the flu shot through their primary care provider or through a local pharmacy. In addition, our goal is to offer a free flu vaccine to any faculty, staff, or campus employee who needs access to it through our partnership with UC San Diego Health. Employee convenience is at the forefront of our flu prevention campaign. This includes expanding access and offering the following convenient options:
You can self-schedule a flu vaccine appointment at one of the following UC San Diego Health locations at flu.ucsd.edu. Vaccinations will be administered by appointment only and are free for all employees.
Price Center walk-up location
As of October 1, 2020, flu shot appointments are available at the Price Center West walk-up location in Ballroom A. For campus employees who are currently reporting to work on-site, this may be the most convenient option for receiving the flu shot. You will need to remain on-site for 15 minutes after receiving your vaccination.
Drive-up locations
Currently we are offering three drive-up locations in La Jolla, Hillcrest, and Rancho Bernardo to receive your flu shot without even having to leave your car. Please note that while appointments are very fast, you will need to remain on-site in your vehicle for at least 15 minutes after receiving the shot for observation per CDC guidance.
Flu vaccination outside UC San Diego Health
Many local pharmacies and clinics offer free flu shots. You may also visit your primary care provider to receive your flu vaccine. For many employees currently working remotely, this may be the easiest and most convenient option.
You should submit your attestation of your flu attestation status through the Work & Health Management form.
On this form we are also requiring staff to fill out their specific building and floor location. This information will be used for density planning to ensure we are taking into account occupancy within our facilities now and into the future.
To request a medical exemption, please download the University of California Medical Exemption Request form and have your health care provider complete it. The completed form should be sent to the office of Disability Counseling and Consulting at hrdcc@ucsd.edu.
For religious accommodations, staff should download the UC San Diego Request for Religious Accommodation form and submit to Employee Relations at employeerelations@ucsd.edu. Faculty should contact Academic Personnel Services at academicpersonnel@ucsd.edu. For more information on exemptions and accommodations, please visit Flu Vaccination on Blink Human Resources.
Thank you for helping our campus community with this important safety measure during these unprecedented times.
Nancy E. Resnick
Chief Human Resources Officer
Elizabeth H. Simmons
Executive Vice Chancellor
For questions or concerns regarding postdoc research activities, please contact Jennifer Bourque, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs at jbourque@ucsd.edu.
Message from James Antony, Dean of The Graduate Division and Sandra Brown, Vice Chancellor for Research:
A few days ago, a campus-wide message went out providing guidance for reducing on-site research activity during the public health emergency. We encourage you to read the message once again: http://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2020/2020-3-17-1.html.
As the campus-wide message states, all on-site research will be modified to be in compliance with UC San Diego policies on safety and social distancing. This is not a complete shut-down of research activity, but a requirement that every effort be made to transition the work of research staff off-site so as to restrict on-site efforts to critical activities. Our goal is to reduce the density of people in research laboratories, on campus, and in the community in general, consistent with the need for social distancing.
So how does this pertain to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars?
We have received sporadic reports of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars feeling pressure from their PIs to continue their experiments in a manner that is not consistent with the guidance provided in the campus-wide message. Faculty should follow the guidance provided in the campus-wide message, and all faculty and students/postdoctoral scholars are reminded that nobody in any laboratory should be pressured to do experiments if it makes them uncomfortable. Graduate students should also be assured that they are welcome to voice their concerns with program directors, thesis committee members, program administrators, or the supportive staff of the Graduate Division. Postdoctoral scholars may similarly seek guidance from their department leadership as well as the Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs.
We also appreciate that there are some students and postdoctoral scholars for whom stopping work could be very damaging to their research or their careers. This includes students hoping to graduate and postdoctoral scholars looking for jobs soon, finishing one last experiment for a last paper, or those working on long-term animal experiments that cannot be stopped without the loss of months or years of work. In these cases, the immediate goals are set by the student or postdoctoral scholar, not the PI. This is acceptable, within the parameters, and following the guidelines outlined in, the campus-wide message.
Lastly, we recommend graduate programs consider how any time-dependent programmatic milestones (such as required sequences, lab rotations, and so forth) might be impacted. Our collective goal should be flexibility, and we encourage graduate programs to develop appropriate approaches that aid students in their progress towards degree while acknowledging the current realities. For its part, The Graduate Division is actively pursuing blanket extensions of relevant time limits and will communicate any changes in the coming days.
Our offices will continue to send you occasional updates. As always, we encourage you to monitor coronavirus.ucsd.edu for up-to-date information about campus announcements.