Dear MICA colleagues,
We write today to offer our sincere gratitude for all that you have done during these last 20 months of challenges and changes and continue to do. Nothing has been simple since March 2020 and you all have responded with the steadfast determination and dedication that has come to define MICA staff, faculty, students and alumni.
You’ve persisted through ever-changing situations at work and in your homes, schools and communities. Your extra efforts, willingness to adapt and need for wellness restoration has not gone without notice.
As we finish out this semester and prepare for the next, we thank you! We offer what we hope will be a welcome change to our annual holiday calendar with the introduction of MICA Winter Recess for December 2021 and forward. Please find below the Winter Recess dates for 2021, 2022 and 2023 to facilitate your planning.
| 2021 SCHEDULE | DATE OBSERVED |
| Christmas Eve | Friday, December 24, 2021 |
| Christmas Day | Monday, December 27, 2021 |
| Winter Recess Day 1 | Tuesday, December 28, 2021 |
| Winter Recess Day 2 | Wednesday, December 29, 2021 |
| Winter Recess Day 3 | Thursday, December 30 2021 |
| New Year's Day | Friday, December 31, 2021 |
| 2022 SCHEDULE | DATE OBSERVED |
| Christmas Eve | Friday, December 23, 2022 |
| Christmas Day | Monday, December 26, 202 |
| Winter Recess Day 1 | Tuesday, December 27, 2022 |
| Winter Recess Day 2 | Wednesday, December 28, 2022 |
| Winter Recess Day 3 | Thursday, December 29, 2022 |
| Winter Recess Day 4 | Friday, December 30, 2022 |
| New Year's Day | Monday, January 2, 2023 |
| 2023 SCHEDULE | DATE OBSERVED |
| Christmas Eve | Friday, December 22, 2023 |
| Christmas Day | Monday, December 25, 2023 |
| Winter Recess Day 1 | Tuesday, December 26, 2023 |
| Winter Recess Day 2 | Wednesday, December 27, 2023 |
| Winter Recess Day 3 | Thursday, December 28, 2023 |
| Winter Recess Day 4 | Friday, December 29, 2023 |
| New Year's Day | Monday, January 1, 2024 |
WINTER RECESS
Winter Recess refers to the closing of the College’s academic and administrative offices between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Winter Recess days are not holidays but are provided in addition to the already scheduled College holidays. This is done in recognition of the season and to give the community time to rest and re-energize while letting go of some stress.
Over a Winter Recess, you can get some more sleep, spend more time with the people you love, practice your favorite hobbies or past-times, focus on your mental and physical well-being, and replenish your soul. This can translate into lower stress levels and improved health. It can also mean that you return to work more focused, more motivated, ready to hit the ground running in the New Year – and to make 2022 a better year personally and professionally.
The goal of Winter Recess is to close the College. However, a few areas of the College provide critical, essential services and therefore will not close during the Winter Recess. Those areas will maintain appropriate levels of staffing for operations and continuity of service during this period. Employees in those areas who are not able to be off during the Winter Recess period will be allowed to take the equivalent number of Winter Recess days off prior to the end of that fiscal year - for the current FY22, that means May 31, 2022.
ELIGIBILITY
All MICA benefits-eligible, full and part-time, staff are eligible to participate in Winter Recess.
Student RA’s who are hired to work and support students in winter break housing will be paid for hours worked but are not eligible for an equivalent number of Winter Recess days. All other students are not eligible and should not be scheduled to work during the Winter Recess period.
Temporary and casual employees are not eligible and should not be scheduled to work during the Winter Recess period.
ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES
Essential employees provide services that relate directly to the health, safety, and welfare of the MICA community and ensure continuity of key operations. Employees in the following areas have been classified as essential during the Winter Recess: Facilities Management, Building Services and Campus Safety. Some employees in the Registrar’s Office, Open Studies, Student Affairs, and Advancement may also be deemed essential by their managers.
Employees not designated as essential may not work during the Winter Recess.
PAY & RECORDING TIME IN WORKDAY
Paid Winter Recess
- Employees must be in a full-time benefits-eligible position in order to receive pay for time not working during Winter Recess.
- Employees in regularly scheduled part-time positions will receive pay for time not worked during Winter Recess on a prorated basis.
- Part-time employees in departments that work a standard 35-hour week will receive 3.5 hours of pay for each MICA Winter Recess day.
- Part-time employees in departments that work a standard 40-hour week (Facilities Management, Building Services and Campus Safety) will receive 4 hours of pay for each MICA Winter Recess day.
- For 2021, all employees who are eligible for paid Winter Recess will have 3 floating holidays (Winter Recess days) added in Workday. If you do not work during Winter Recess, then you will enter these floating holidays on Tuesday, 12/28/2021; Wednesday, 12/29/2021 and Thursday, 12/30/2021.
- If you are an essential employee and work during the Winter Recess, you will enter your hours worked as you normally do. For 2021 Winter Recess, you will have until May 31, 2022 to use your 3 floating holidays. When you take your floating holiday, you will enter the floating holiday then.
- Employees MAY NOT use a floating holiday (Winter Recess Day) on a day that they also work.
Please note: Floating holidays will expire at the end of the Fiscal year on May 31, will not roll over to the following fiscal year, will have no cash value and will not be paid out in lieu of using them or at separation of employment. Winter Recess floating holidays for 2021 will be available for entry in Workday on or after December 24, 2021 and if unused, will expire on May 31, 2022.
Unpaid Winter Recess
Student RA’s who are hired to work and support students in winter break housing will be paid for hours worked but are not eligible for an equivalent number of Winter Recess days.
Temporary, casual and all other student employees are not eligible and should not be scheduled to work during the Winter Recess period.
Thank you for all that you do and for your commitment to MICA. Please email questions to Freida Johnson at fjohnson01@mica.edu.