Washington State University will operate on a reduced basis in the midst of the holiday season later this month.
A majority of university operations and services will be unavailable from Dec. 28 through Dec. 31. The university will be closed entirely on Dec. 24 and 25 as well as on Jan. 1, 2021. Normal operations resume on Jan. 4.
WSU has reduced operations during the December holiday period since 2011 to give departments flexibility with staffing and office functions.
Supervisors and managers will let employees know whether they are needed during the period of reduced operations. Employees who aren’t working should use their annual leave, personal holiday or accrued compensatory leave during reduced operations. Leave without pay can also be requested by employees without sufficient leave balances. Managers are encouraged to grant leave requests during the period of reduced operation.
Faculty will have access to their individual offices and labs during reduced operations, though thermostats may be turned down.
Many university buildings have already been locked with energy conservation efforts in place with the existing Work From Home protocol, Craig Cole, executive director of logistics & deferred maintenance for WSU Facilities Services, said. Facilities Services won’t be available to unlock closed buildings during the reduced operations period.
All but essential employees should be working from home currently, Cole noted, adding that it’s important during the global pandemic for faculty and staff to stay home.
“The December period and late start to Spring Semester can be used to give everyone time to literally unplug and take a break,” Cole said.
More information on the reduced operations period can be found on Human Resource Services’ website.
