September 11, 2020
Good afternoon, MICA staff and community,
As we have commenced the Fall Semester and are beginning to plan ahead, we are formally announcing that the MICA campus will be closed from Monday, December 28th – Friday, January 1st.
This decision to close the campus was made with two key considerations. By closing during this holiday time, it provides all MICA employees some much needed time to rest, relax and restore. Additionally, it provides options for those employees who are impacted by ten (10) days of Unpaid Leave days (ULD) to schedule 5 of those days during a week in between semesters and during a common closure period.
January 1st is typically a “paid holiday” but as we have employees who may choose to take 5 consecutive days of ULD during this time and apply for unemployment benefits, January 1 this year will not be a paid holiday. Instead, we will be giving every employee 1 Paid Floating Holiday to be used at your discretion before May 31, 2021.
How do I Decide How to Manage the 5 Days: Unpaid Leave or Paid Vacation and/or Paid Personal Leave?
Each employee has the flexibility to decide how to manage the 5 days of time off.
- 5 Days of Unpaid Leave: For those employees who will need to schedule 10 days of ULD by May 31st, you may decide to allocate 5 days of ULD during this time. Employees can apply for unemployment for these 5 days.
- 5 Days of Paid Vacation and/or Paid Personal Leave: As an alternative to the 5 days of ULD, employees may choose to use 5 days of Paid Vacation and/or Paid Personal Leave. For those employees required to take 10 days of ULD, they can be scheduled at a different time throughout the academic year (deadline: May 31, 2021).
- A combination of ULD and Paid Vacation Time: Employees may choose to use part of the required ULD days and some Paid Vacation (Example. 2 ULD and 3 Paid Vacation days). For exempt employees, it is important to note that you cannot perform any work during the 7-day workweek, December 27-January 2. Any PAID days will offset potential unemployment benefits for that week.
Additional Questions and Answers
What if I am an employee who was on furlough and have returned to work before December 28th?
Employees who have returned from furlough will use 5 days of Paid Vacation during this time.
What if my salary is $50,000 or below and I am not required to take 10 days of ULD?
Employees who are not required to take 10 days of ULD will use 5 days of Paid Vacation during this time.
What if my office/department cannot close during this campus closure?
For those employees who have been identified by their VP / Supervisor as required to work during the campus closure, you will receive the Floating Holiday for Friday, January 1. That day will not be a paid holiday this year. If any of these employees are required to take 10 days of ULD, it is recommended that you work directly with your supervisor to schedule those 10 days prior to May 31, 2021.
When will the decision about the May campus closure be made?
This decision will be made no later than February 1, 2021.
Helpful Resources
To check your unused accrued leave:
Log into Workday > Click on Absence Icon > Absence Balance > Enter as of Date : 12/27/2020 > Click "OK".
To Request Absence:
Log into Workday > Click on Absence Icon > Request Absence
If you have any questions, please reach out directly to Human Resources.
Thank you.
Colleen Cashill
Associate Vice President (AVP) of Human Resources