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Covid-19 Arrangements and Important Information
- UCL’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) information pages
On these pages you can find information on how to keep safe on campus (living safely with infections, reducing the risk of transmission through building ventilation, and information on wearing face coverings):
- Living safely with infections
On these pages you will find guidance on living safely with infections:
- UCL Making Hybrid Work
HR have provided tools and information to help you and those around you adapt to working in a hybrid way. Please visit: Remote not distant UCL
- Coronavirus: HR policies and guidance
HR have provided policies and guidance to support staff. Please visit: Coronavirus HR policies and guidance
- COVID-19 health advice for managers
These pages offer COVID-19 guidance for managers who are supporting staff back onto campus.
Please visit: Covid 19 health advice managers
- Staff Wellbeing
UCL offers a range of resources to support your mental health and physical wellbeing.
Staff wellbeing | UCL Human Resources - UCL – University College London
- Returning to UCL Campus – Interim People Management Guidance
- Travel guidance during COVID-19 pandemic
Travel is not yet "back to normal" although "essential" travel is permitted. The underlying concern is to minimise the risk of transmitting coronavirus and prolonging the pandemic.
Staff and students planning to travel for work must now follow the latest UCL COVID-19 travel advice. This covers the latest information on UCL’s position in respect to COVID-19 travel, UCL’s travel policy, guidance for staff on how to book, key policy points and useful resources, guidance for students, risk and insurance, as well as frequently asked questions
Some of the important points which differ from pre-coronavirus travel policy, at the time of writing (Oct 2021), are mentioned below:
* As a first step, discuss with your line manager whether the trip is "essential"
The Department considers that it is essential to travel in order to do work that cannot be supported remotely, such as supporting space instrument deliveries or some forms of instrument testing, or attending a scientific meeting/workshop with no provision for remote participation. There may be other situations where travel is "essential", rather than "nice to have", in order to support project or academic objectives. The line manager should consult with the Head of Department if in doubt.
* Risk assessment
UCL has conducted a travel risk assessment for low risk travel (e.g. meetings, events and conferences). Before booking you will be asked to confirm that you have read this and completed the actions ahead of travel such as, checking the FCDO for the latest travel guidance. Please read the pan-UCL risk assesmsent to check this covers your travel and mitigating actions are understood. You can view this pan-UCL risk assessment on the UCL risk pages. If you are travelling for research or the purpose of your trip is not covered by the pan-UCL risk assessment, then you will need to conduct a specific risk assssment. There are templates available for overseas fieldwork, overseas research in the 'general risk assessment' section of RiskNet. You can create a copy of these and update them with the relevant information. For more information, please contact Craig Theobald.
* FCDO advice
The U.K. Government provides specific foreign travel advice and a search can be done for a specific country in order to understand the specific entry requirements.
There is also specific FCDO travel guidance to understand the requirements for entry into the U.K.
If you need help understanding the entry regulations for a specific country (i.e. visa requirements or COVID-19 regulations) please contact Dimitra Stamogiannou. Advice will be provided based on information available on official U.K. Government Web sites and every effort will be made to understand the local requirements. Specific attention does need to be given by the individual traveller to information sent by the airline regarding airline and airport-specific testing requirements.
* Refundable tickets
Tickets should be bought through UCL's new travel provider, Clarity. UCL recommends that if travel is agreed to be essential, flexible (refundable) transport tickets and hotel bookings should be booked, as a precaution against one having to cancel travel although this may cost more. If you need advice on how to use Clarity, please contact Sam Babister.
* Quarantine
UCL will not pay for personal expenses incurred if one is required to quarantine or self-isolate unless an individual has specifically been requested to travel to another country to undertake a specific task, e.g. flight instrument testing. In addition, if one is in a country that is unexpectedly moved to the red list during travel this may be considered as an exception.
* Tests for border crossings
The cost of coronavirus tests related to border crossings can be met from grants if the travel has been agreed with the funder to be "essential". Tests will need to be booked by individual travellers themselves.
- Cleaning at the Department of Space and Climate Physics (Holmbury St Mary site)
Evening cleaning
There are two cleaning operatives who carry out cleaning of all areas across the site. They focus on daily waste removal, dust control of areas such as tables and worktops (where accessible). There are a few restrictions of places such as labs and workshops where they are unable to conduct any cleaning and where only the floor is looked at. The cleaners also vacuum the soft floors where required and mop hard floor areas daily.
Daytime cleaning
We have one cleaner who operates across the site.
