Jan 9, 2025

Dear colleagues,

I am writing to share information about leave-reporting requirements for UAW-represented academic appointees and the role of faculty in that process. As noted in the recent joint statement from the UC and UAW, both parties acknowledge the expectation that UAW-represented UC employees will record leaves of absence by using the University's time and attendance systems, Time Reporting System (TRS) on the UC Irvine campus, on a regular and consistent basis. The joint statement also notes that the University will make training available for UAW employees and will not discipline employees for failure to engage with time and attendance systems until Spring 2025. This grace period allows time to access training and provide information about the agreement to supervisors.

With this agreement, questions and uncertainty around whether UAW-represented academic appointees should report their absences/leaves in the time and attendance system, and about what consequences may be appropriate for an employee who fails to do so, have been resolved. For faculty who are Principal Investigators or Instructors of Record, we know this has been a challenging process due to conflicting information that has been circulating. Thank you for your patience throughout this process.

Faculty serving as Principal Investigators, Instructors of Record, and other roles listed as approvers in the time and attendance system for UAW-represented academic appointees, should review their direct report's submissions ahead of the submittal deadline, and either approve or request a correction from the submitting appointee. When encountering incidents of non-compliance, approvers should consult with departmental and school staff. Taking these important steps will help honor the agreement with UAW and ensure that pay is aligned to work consistent with the award of federal grant funds and the allocation of State funds committed to the University as a public trust.

For your reference, this Frequently Asked Questions Regarding UAW Leave Reporting document is intended to clarify a faculty member's role in the process as Principal Investigator or Instructor of Record.

For questions, the following resources are available:

  • For school or department-specific questions, contact your School's Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) or your department manager.
  • To access the UC Irvine Time Reporting System (TRS) as well as employee and supervisor training resources and information about reporting absences/leaves in TRS, including paid time off, please visit the following links:
  • For timesheet completion questions, employees should contact their supervisor, department manager or designated departmental time administrator (DTA). Any questions requiring Central Payroll assistance should be submitted through the Employee Experience Center (ECC) by selecting the following categories:
    • Payroll and Time Reporting > bottom of the blue section View all in Payroll and Time Reporting > Timesheet & TRS > Time Reporting System (TRS) and Timesheet Inquiry.
  • For ASE or GSR contractual provision questions, please contact your School's Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) or your department manager.

Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Hal Stern
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Distinguished Professor, Department of Statistics