CalPERS to Close Sacramento Headquarters for One Day to Clean and Disinfect Offices

March 15, 2020

Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Contact: Wayne Davis, Chief of Public Affairs

(916) 795-3991 - newsroom@calpers.ca.gov

Pension Fund will implement social distancing in work areas

Update: The CalPERS employee has tested negative for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Public Employees' Retirement System today announced that it will close its headquarters, Sacramento regional office and daycare center located at 400 Q Street in downtown Sacramento for one day on Monday, March 16 due to the novel Coronavirus or COVID-19.

CalPERS is taking this action after an employee showed symptoms of the virus. The employee went home immediately and has been self-isolating. The work area was also cleaned and disinfected. The employee has been tested for COVID-19 and is waiting on the results.

The closure will allow CalPERS to clean and disinfect its offices, and also to continue to implement social distancing practices in all work areas. To assist in implementing social distancing, CalPERS will take initial steps to begin transitioning some employees to telework where operationally feasible.

"The safety of our members, team members, and the public who visit our offices is our top priority," said Marcie Frost, Chief Executive Officer for CalPERS. "We are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution."

The pension fund has also canceled its committee meetings scheduled for Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17. The cancellations include CalPERS' Investment Committee, Pension & Health Benefits Committee and Board Governance Committee. Items for discussion and action in those committees will be moved to the CalPERS Board meetings scheduled for April 20 and 21, 2020.

The full CalPERS Board will convene via teleconference on Wednesday, March 18 to act on proposed Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) matters.

The pension fund's other seven regional offices throughout California will remain open for business. The CalPERS Investment Office will continue to conduct business off-site or through telework.

CalPERS has already taken steps to cancel larger gatherings and has implemented social distancing protocols in all its locations around the state. CalPERS members and employer partners are encouraged to use CalPERS website and the myCalPERS system to get questions answered and conduct business with the system during the closure.

About CalPERS

For more than eight decades, CalPERS has built retirement and health security for state, school, and public agency members who invest their lifework in public service. Our pension fund serves more than 1.9 million members in the CalPERS retirement system and administers benefits for more than 1.5 million members and their families in our health program, making us the largest defined-benefit public pension in the U.S. CalPERS' total fund market value currently stands at approximately $350 billion. For more information, visit www.calpers.ca.gov