UCOP has experienced significant changes in employee work arrangements and locations since 2020. While we continue to follow UC Policy G-28 Travel Regulations, UCOP Human Resources and the Business Resource Center (BRC) have introduced a new Interim UCOP Employee Headquarters Location Procedure that mitigates barriers around travel reimbursement for certain remote employees whose jobs require significant work-related travel that is unrelated to commuting. The new procedure allows for an alternative starting point for travel calculations, providing greater flexibility and fairness for eligible remote employees.

How does the interim policy work?

• Currently, under UC Policy G-28 Travel Regulations, all employees must calculate their travel expense reimbursements based on travel from their assigned UCOP office location or the primary headquarters location.
• Under the interim procedure, managers of employees who meet specific criteria, outlined below, can apply for their employees to be granted a temporary designated headquarters location (DHL), such as the employee’s personal residence or a UC location that is different from the employee’s primary headquarters location.
• If the DHL request is approved, the employee will submit travel expenses from their DHL address without a net of commute requirement.

What are the qualifying criteria to apply for a DHL?

CA-based remote employees
All of the following must apply:

• Employee has an approved remote work arrangement on file and resides at least 50 miles away from their PHL
• Employee travels a minimum of 25% (6+ days/month) to multiple UC business-related locations*
• Requested DHL is financially net neutral or beneficial to UCOP

OR

• Employee is assigned to a campus location** and plans to use that location as their DHL

Out-of-state remote employees (Except Washington, D.C.-based employees)

• Employees with an approved or conditionally approved out-of-state work agreement from the Executive Workforce Actions Committee automatically receive a DHL.
• Employees with temporary approval for out-of-state work are not eligible for a DHL.

*Travel to attend an industry or membership-based conference or trips to the PHL are not counted toward fulfilling the 25% travel requirement.

** Must have an assigned workspace and work regularly on-site

What is the application process for a DHL?

Managers with employees who meet the criteria listed above are encouraged to apply on their employees’ behalf using the online DHL Application Form. The BRC will evaluate each request individually to determine whether the employee’s proposed DHL meets the requirements for a net neutral or financially beneficial travel arrangement. BRC-approved submissions will then be evaluated by the Executive Workforce Actions Committee (EWAC). Submission of a DHL request is not a guarantee of its approval.

What if an employee meets some, but not all of the criteria for a DHL?

Remote employees who do not qualify for a DHL continue to be eligible for travel reimbursement under UC Policy G-28 Travel Regulations. For questions about travel reimbursements, consult the BRC’s Quick Reference Guide.

How can I learn more about the Interim UCOP Employee Headquarters Location Procedure?

Additional documents, including an FAQ and eligibility tree (also below), are available to further clarify the procedure, exceptional approval process and requirements for existing employees.

Eligibility tree

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