What to Expect - Employees | Environmental Health & Safety

Covid 19 Protocols at a glance

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

The chart below applies to:

Students: Those living, learning, or working on campus at a UCR property at least one day a week.
Employees: Staff, faculty, instructors, or third-party personnel working or teaching on campus or at a UCR property at least one day a week.
Visitors and Guests: Members of the general public visiting campus or UCR facilities or attending events on campus; guests invited to campus for events or meetings.

For more information on each protocol, click the link in the left-hand column.

Protocol	Employees	Students	Guests & Visitors
Vaccinations	New Policy: Confirm you are up to date or opt-out via the employee patient portal	New policy: Confirm you are up to date or opt-out via the student patient portal	Not required.
Face masks	Recommended indoors. Optional Outdoors.	Recommended indoors. Optional Outdoors.	Recommended indoors. Optional Outdoors.
COVID-19 Testing	Not required (but still available).	Not required (but still available).	Not required.
COVID-19 Reporting	Report to COVID-19 Screening Check.	Report to student patient portal.	Not required.
Isolation (following positive test)	Positive COVID-19 test and symptomatic: follow isolation guidelines.	Positive COVID-19 test and symptomatic: follow isolation guidelines.	Follow California Department of Public Health guidance.
Quarantine (following exposure)	Not required if asymptomatic.	Not required if asymptomatic.	Follow California Department of Public Health guidance.
Campus Outbreak(s)	Exposed group: follow Notice of Workplace COVID-19 Outbreak that will include testing and masking.	Not required.	Not required.

Note: Those who work in UCR Health clinic areas (including medical, dental, and nursing clinics) must follow COVID-19 protocols for healthcare settings.

However, those who work in both clinical and non-clinical settings must also comply with these campus protocols when outside of the health care environment.

What to Expect - Employees

A Safe Return to Campus

University of California, Riverside · RSM Design

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, UC Riverside has been guided by three principles – personal health, community health, and incremental decision making. As the university increases on-campus operations, these principles will continue to guide the campus.

UCR is committed to delivering in-person instruction, research opportunities, and student support services wherever possible. As a nationally ranked residential public research university, an on-campus presence is essential to successfully advance our mission of instruction, research, and public service.

Most classes will be delivered in-person. Campus gathering and student support venues, including libraries, Student Recreation Center, Highlander Union Building, bookstore, dining spaces, and residence halls, are open.

All members of the campus community – including students, staff, and faculty – must adhere to public health and safety guidelines.

Campus guidelines will continue to evolve as guidance from local, state, and national health authorities are updated. Please continue to visit the COVID-19 site for updated information with specifics about operations on campus.

FAQs

I am a new UCR employee where do I go to submit my COVID19 vaccine records to meet with campus policy?

Please navigate to Point and Click using the link and access your Employee Health Record. Add your immunization information under COVID Vaccine found in “View My Medical Clearances and Vaccine Records.”

More detailed instructions can be found here: Employee Vaccine Guide.

*Acceptable Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination
•    COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO), which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date doses administered
•    A photo of a vaccination card as a separate document
•    A photo of a vaccine card stored on a phone or electronic device
•    Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider
•    Digital record that includes a QR code that when scanned by a SMART Health Card reader displays to the reader's name, date of birth, vaccination dates, and vaccine type.

How do I a request an exemption or deferral to the vaccine mandate?

Each year, students and employees will be required to either receive the COVID-19 vaccination or officially decline it.
Documentation of receiving a COVID-19 primary vaccine series will no longer be necessary for students and employees. Consequently, there will be no need for submitting approved medical or religious exceptions, or disability deferrals to access campus facilities.
Look out for future communications from the campus regarding the process of attesting or declining the COVID-19 vaccine similarly to the flu vaccine.

Can I get a COVID test on campus?
Yes, antigen test kits are available to faculty and staff using the antigen kit request form . The antigen test kits can be picked up from EH&S Tuesday through Thursday from 8am to 4pm, (3:50pm being the last window for pick up).

Students are able to request an antigen test, but these COVID-19 tests are only for students that are currently uninsured and/or have limited access to healthcare resources.

If you have symptoms, please stay home, use an at-home antigen test and contact your doctor or Student Health.
To ensure equitable distribution, the kits will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

Please take note of the following details for kit pickup:

Hours: Tuesdays thru Thursdays between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. The last pickup time is at 3:50 pm.
Location: EH&S ; See Map.

Where can employees obtain additional free face coverings/masks?
Employees can request free face coverings from Environmental Health & Safety.

Can I host an event on campus?
Yes. Events and gatherings guidance can be found here.

Are resources available for instructors to assist with remote instruction?
Yes. The Teaching@UCR site provides resources on revising your course for remote instruction, including key details on technologies and teaching strategies.

RETURN GUIDELINES

Strict adherence to health and safety standards. Personal and institutional health and safety standards for on-campus activities will be in place, consistent with applicable public health guidelines. This likely will include correct use of face coverings, testing, and vaccinations. All on-campus activities, and anyone participating in these activities, will be required to strictly adhere to these standards.
Planning to offer most courses in-person. Smaller classes would be offered with normal classroom seating, larger courses would have reduced seating density, and graduate students would have almost all of their courses in-person.
A commitment not to switch remote classes to in-person on short notice. Classes initially scheduled for remote instruction in fall will not be shifted to in-person if public health conditions improve more than expected. However, if conditions do not improve as expected, classes initially scheduled for in-person instruction may be shifted to remote.

VACCINATIONS

The University of California has finalized a policy to require vaccinations of all students and employees accessing campus facilities at all UC locations, including UC Riverside. More information about vaccinations can be found here.
The UC Office of the President (UCOP) is presently in the process of reviewing the UC vaccination policy, with plans to implement updates in August 2023. As soon as the revised policy is approved, we will swiftly update the information and provide the latest details. The following key points have been highlighted:

Each year, students and employees will be required to either receive the COVID-19 vaccination or officially decline it.
Documentation of receiving a COVID-19 primary vaccine series will no longer be necessary for students and employees. Consequently, there will be no need for submitting approved medical or religious exceptions, or disability deferrals to access campus facilities.
Look out for future communications from the campus regarding the process of attesting or declining the COVID-19 vaccine similarly to the flu vaccine.

COVID-19 TESTING

Effective May 11, 2023, the federal Public Health Emergency has ended, and the University of California (UC) has implemented a systemwide COVID-19 vaccination opt-out program for UC students and employees. Consequently, weekly COVID-19 testing is no longer mandatory for students and employees on campus. Instead, UCR students and employees are strongly encouraged to regularly conduct COVID-19 testing using at-home test kits.

Faculty and staff can request COVID-19 kit (the kits will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last)
Students are able to request a COVID-19 kit.(To ensure equitable distribution, the kits will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.)
These COVID-19 tests are only for students that are currently uninsured and/or have limited access to healthcare resources.
If you have symptoms, please stay home, use an at-home antigen test and contact your doctor or Student Health.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Anyone on campus must follow all health and safety protocols.

WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY

We continue to expect more workplace flexibility than existed pre-pandemic. Specific decisions about on-campus and remote work will happen at the organizational level. Updated parking permit options will be available. Details available here.

GATHERINGS

Events and gatherings have resumed. The university released events and gatherings guidance to provide specific direction on which types of indoor and outdoor gatherings will be permitted on campus.

TRAINING

In compliance with California Department Public Health (CDPH) and Cal/OSHA requirements all employees are required to complete an online COVID-19 prevention training through the UC Learning Center.

TRAVEL

Employee travel may resume.