Communications | Other Communications

Winter Curtailment 2024-2025

Questions and Answers for Academic Employees

The UCSC Winter Curtailment period for 2024-2025 begins on Monday, December 23, 2024, and continues through Wednesday, January 1, 2025; with campus resuming operations on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

Designated University Holidays: December 24, 25, and 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025.
Designated Winter Curtailment Days: December 23, 26, 27 and 30, 2024.

Due to the research and teaching diverse responsibilities of academic appointees and the flexibility in performing their work schedules obligations, it is anticipated that some academic appointees will choose to continue working during the curtailment period.

Researchers and non-represented policy covered employees: explicit pre-approval is not required but they should email their supervisor with their curtailment work plan.
Librarians: may work only with the explicit approval of the University Librarian.

Holiday Pay: Academic employees must be on pay status during the week in which the holiday falls to receive holiday pay.

Academic Fiscal Year Employees who Accrue Vacation and Sick Leave

Are employees eligible to use up to four (4) days of vacation leave for December 23, 26, 27 and 30, 2024?
Employees may use vacation leave for the four (4) curtailment days, if they would have been scheduled to work had these days not been curtailment days.

What if an employee doesn’t have enough vacation hours available to cover the four (4) unpaid curtailment days (i.e., December 23, 26, 27 and 30, 2024)?
Employees who may not have sufficient accumulated vacation, up to four (4) days of vacation leave may be “borrowed”.

Part-time employees may “borrow”on a prorated basis according to their appointment percentage and schedule.

What if an employee does not wish to use vacation to cover the unpaid curtailment days (i.e., December 23, 26, 27 and 30, 2024)?
Employees who do not wish to use vacation may elect to use up to four (4) days of leave without pay (LWOP).

Is an employee eligible to use sick leave if they become ill during winter curtailment?
An employee may use sick leave if they have a sick leave accrual balance; if their sick leave is authorized by their supervisor; and/or if they are on approved medical leave of absence, and the use of sick leave is in accordance with policy and collective bargaining agreement requirements.

Will there be an impact on an employee’s vacation and sick leave accruals if they take leave without pay (LWOP) during the curtailment period?
Under winter curtailment provisions, up to four (4) days of unpaid leave shall be considered time on pay status for the purposes of accruing vacation and sick leave.

What impact will there be on an employee’s vacation and sick leave accruals if they fall below 50% of the working hours?
Employees must be on pay status at least 50% of the working hours of any given pay period to be eligible to accrue proportionate vacation and sick leave. Although up to four (4) days of Leave without Pay (LWOP) shall be considered as time on pay status during a curtailment period, any additional days of LWOP could result in the employee not accruing vacation and sick leave if they fall below 50% of the working hours of the accrual period.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Are employees eligible to use up to four (4) days of PTO for December 23, 26, 27 and 30, 2024?
Employees may use Personal Time Off (PTO) for the four (4) curtailment days, if they would have been scheduled to work had these days not been curtailment days.

What if an employee doesn’t have enough PTO days available to cover the four (4) unpaid curtailment days?
Employees who do not have enough PTO days may elect to use up to four (4) days of leave without pay (LWOP).

Is an employee eligible to use sick leave if they become ill during winter curtailment?
An employee may use sick leave if they have a sick leave balance; if their sick leave is authorized by their supervisor; and/or if they are on approved medical leave of absence, and
the use of sick leave is in accordance with policy and collective bargaining agreement requirements.

Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs)

Are GSRs eligible to use up to four (4) days of PTO for December 23, 26, 27 and 30, 2024?
Employees may use Personal Time Off (PTO) for the four (4) curtailment days, if they would have been scheduled to work had these days not been curtailment days.

Salaried ASEs

Do Salaried ASEs need to record time over the curtailment period on timesheets?
The winter curtailment period occurs after fall quarter service period ends for Academic Year employees, and therefore does not impact December pay. Time does not need to be recorded on your timesheet for the curtailment days, however, the timesheet does need to be submitted and approved.