As Los Angeles County continues to confront devastating wildfires, members of the UC community are doing whatever they can to help. Find out what assistance is available from the university and from UC’s benefits partners.
Not affected by the fires? Here’s what’s happening and how you can help.
Support from UC
If you need time off work, contact your supervisor and HR representative to learn more about your options, including administrative or catastrophic leave. See the Absence from work policy for policy-covered staff members (PDF), Leaves of absence and Family and Medical Leave policies for academic personnel (PDF) or (if you’re a represented employee) your bargaining unit contract or agreement for details.
If you need emotional support, contact your location’s faculty and staff (or employee) assistance program. Assistance programs offer free, confidential resources for emotional health — often available right on campus — with easy access to short-term counseling, assessment and referrals.
If you need emergency housing:
- Vacant units in UCLA’s faculty housing facilities and at UCLA South Bay are available for employees who have lost their homes to the fires. Please reach out to UCLAHousing@housing.ucla.edu to learn more.
- Reduced rates for evacuees and those who have lost their homes are available at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, The Inn at UCLA and the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge. Please call 310-794-1600 to inquire about availability. Interested guests are asked to mention that their booking is due to a local wildfire evacuation or home loss and specify their desired location.
If you want to find out more about wildfire risks and response, explore informative webinars hosted by several UC locations. In addition to events for the general public, there is a targeted training for mental health and health care clinicians.
Support from UC’s benefits plans
Your UC benefits plans stand ready to provide extra assistance during a natural disaster or another emergency.
If you need money to help with expenses and rebuilding, Fidelity representatives will discuss your options for hardship withdrawals, unforeseeable emergency withdrawals and/or loans from UC Retirement Savings Program (RSP) voluntary 403(b) and/or 457(b) Plans.
If you need to replace lost documents, your UC-paid identity theft protection program includes 24/7 support from Experian’s member services team (855-797-0052).
If you need help with medical care or prescriptions, our health plans are keeping their websites up to date with updates and resources for those impacted by the fires: