Dear Getty Colleagues,

As we continue to receive good news about declining rates of COVID in our community and reopen our sites to the public, I am pleased to share an important update about Getty’s plans to return the remainder of our workforce to the Getty Center, Getty Villa, and Library Annex this summer. I am also sharing important information about vaccinations and workplace safety, as Getty continues to comply with evolving local public health requirements and a pending state reopening June 15. Watch for additional communications in the next few weeks with further details.

Updated Getty Protocols and Preventative Measures

As the number of COVID-19 infections continues to decline, Los Angeles County recently updated its public health directives. These new directives allow our museums, offices, and restaurants to operate at higher levels of capacity. However, wearing of masks by employees and members of the public is still required, and both employees and visitors are required to maintain 6-foot distances. Getty anticipates that the County will lessen its restrictions sometime after June 15. It is likely the new directives will allow more flexibility for employees who are fully vaccinated. We will provide you with additional information when it is available.

Beginning June 1, reservations through Security will no longer be required for staff working on site. For access to the sites, we will return to our pre-COVID procedures of displaying your car hangtag and showing your Getty ID. Onsite COVID-19 testing for employees who are not fully vaccinated will continue through at least the end of July.

Return of Office Staff

In general, Getty is a site-specific institution, recognized for and with a focus on the work that is performed on site and supporting that work and our mission. To that end, it is important that, beginning July 5, office staff who have been working from home will begin returning to their onsite work locations. By expanding our onsite activity in July and August, Getty aims to restore the ability of all of our Programs and departments to be fully operational on site by September 7.

Many employees who have been working from home have expressed interest in regular telework schedules, combining work on site and remote work from home. Department managers may develop flexible work arrangements that meet Getty’s business needs. These schedules, however, will vary depending on the needs of each department and the nature of your position, and these arrangements will need to meet Getty’s updated telework policy.

Regardless of potential approval of teleworking schedules in the future, all office staff will be asked to return to their worksite beginning early July. Your supervisor or manager will provide you with information regarding your schedule in the next few weeks. Work this summer will include ensuring all employees have fully functioning work stations and technology. Employees will be asked to return all Getty-owned furniture and office equipment that they have been using at home during the past year. Details regarding what to do about items you may have purchased over the past year will be shared in a future communication.

Many have asked about the status of business travel. We are awaiting LA County guidance on travel restrictions, which we expect will be updated by local health officials June 15.

Vaccination Requirement

Since vaccination status may be taken into consideration when allowing access to worksites, Getty intends to require all employees, interns, scholars, volunteers, and docents to be fully vaccinated, with limited exceptions. Expect this requirement to be in place this summer, after the available vaccines have received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We are working with our contract partners (e.g. Bon Appetit, UniServe) to achieve the same outcome for their employees.

In anticipation of the state of California’s relaxation of COVID restrictions for vaccinated people on June 15, all employees, volunteers, and docents are being asked to report their current vaccination status as soon as possible and no later than July 31. The procedures for providing proof of vaccination status will be communicated to you next week.

Unvaccinated people may be required to meet Getty’s onsite safeguards, such as regular COVID-19 testing, wearing masks, etc.—even after the potential relaxation of restrictions that is anticipated—to protect the health and well-being of the community. More information on the Getty’s vaccination policy and the exemption process will be shared in future updates, including if/when the vaccination requirement may be waived.

Getty has always had a strong commitment to protect its community from COVID-19, with cleaning and other protocols, providing testing and with help to obtain vaccinations. Getty will sponsor another onsite vaccine clinic on Monday, June 7, beginning at 8:00 a.m. for all employees, docents, volunteers, contractors and their families, whether regularly scheduled to work on site or not. We also will be offering online education sessions with an Infectious Disease Specialist on June 2 and 3.

We continue to urge all members of the community to become vaccinated at their earliest opportunity. All of us are responsible for ensuring the safety of our community. The sooner all of us are fully vaccinated, the sooner we will have a workplace where masks and other safety measures are no longer required.

The Next Phase

All of these changes are important as Getty transitions to full onsite activity at the Getty Center, Getty Villa and Library Annex by September 7. We are sharing this information now so that employees who need to may plan for their return to on-site work. Getty’s managers are working with Human Resources to determine how best to incorporate greater flexibility in work locations and schedules, while preserving Getty’s ability to execute our mission.

We know you likely will have many questions not addressed here. As noted, we will provide regular updates and additional information as soon as we are able. You can send your questions to internalcommunications@getty.edu. Public health orders are rapidly evolving and we will provide updates as more Getty protocols are finalized.

Thank you for your flexibility over the past 14 months of uncertainty, for your support of these new measures and for your dedication to advancing Getty’s mission.

Steve Olsen
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer