In line with President Drake’s priority of promoting health across California, the University of California is committed to fostering an environment that supports all aspects of employee well-being — from access to quality health care providers to comprehensive UC-wide and campus-based wellness programs.
Here are some of the ways that UC is working to ensure our valued employees have the resources they need to continue making our incredible impact possible.
Systemwide well-being programs
UC’s employee wellness programs are available to staff at all locations:
- Faculty and staff assistance programs offer free, confidential resources for emotional health, including easy access to short-term counseling, assessment and referrals.
- All UC health plans include behavioral health benefits for mental health services and substance abuse treatment.
- For financial guidance, sign up for a free one-one retirement counseling session with the UC Retirement Administration Service Center or Fidelity.
- The UC Diabetes Prevention Program connects staff who are at risk for diabetes with colleagues and lifestyle coaches who empower them to meet their health goals during small-group sessions.
- And, the UC WorkStrong Program assists eligible employees with post-work injury rehabilitation.
The university also offers work-life resources that make it easy to find help when you need it.
Policies that enhance well-being
Over the past few years, UC has initiated several policies to support employees. This January 1, we began expanded paid sick leave for staff and academic personnel, giving access to more employees and giving all employees more flexibility in how the time is used. Last year, we introduced time off for reproductive loss, the Presidential Policy on Anti-Discrimination, the Systemwide Office of Civil Rights and university-paid identity theft prevention.
New CUCSA-inspired HR workgroup on employee well-being
In response to a recommendation by the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA), Systemwide Human Resources has created a workgroup focused on improving employee well-being. Workgroup members are working closely with campus-level subject matter experts to explore best practices in promoting employee wellness and strengthening cross-location partnerships so that local leaders can share information with one another.
Looking forward, the workgroup intends to develop a systemwide strategy for enhancing employees’ physical, emotional, financial, professional and social health.
Coming soon — systemwide benefits survey
As announced in January, we’re preparing to launch our next systemwide benefits survey. These surveys are an essential tool for helping us determine which services best meet employee needs and where we could offer more support (e.g., health and welfare, retirement, home and family, etc.). Stay tuned for more news soon!
In the meantime, you can find information about the UC programs available to you on the UCnet employee benefits, work-life support and resources pages.
For questions about location-specific benefits, contact your benefits office.