The Lab will close for the annual winter break starting Wednesday, Dec. 24, and reopen on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. During the closure, Operations will be working on a modified schedule. The following information is provided to help you safely and effectively prepare for and return from the holidays.

  • Badge Office – The badge office will be closed beginning Tuesday, Dec. 23, at noon and re-open on Friday, Jan. 2.
  • Custodial Service – Individual office services will end the week of Dec. 15-19, on your regularly scheduled office service day. After this day, please take your office waste to the central waste stations in your building. For urgent needs, please contact CustodialServices@lbl.gov by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23.
  • Facilities – Teams will complete scheduled preventive maintenance during the winter break. 
    • HVAC and lighting systems will be in off-hour settings to conserve energy. 
    • Normal operating temperatures will be maintained for all cold, server, and computer rooms.
    • Building rounds will be performed three times per day.
  • Food Trucks – There will be no food trucks from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. 
    • One food truck (El Torito) will be on-site at the Building 91 lot through Dec. 23, and will resume service on Jan. 2. The rotating (second) food truck that is usually at Building 91 will cease as of Dec. 12, and resume service on Jan. 12. 
  • Guest House – The Guest House will close on Tuesday, Dec. 23, at noon and re-open on Monday, Jan. 5, at 7:00 AM.
  • Health Services – Health Services is closed for the winter break, beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Dec. 23 and reopening on Jan. 2. For details on after-hours care in the event of an emergency or injury, please visit the website.
  • Shipping and Receiving – On Tuesday, Dec. 23, Receiving will close at 12:00 p.m. and Shipping will close at 12:30 p.m. 
    • There will not be a regularly scheduled 2 p.m. FedEx pick-up at Buildings 50 or 90 on Dec. 23. 
    • If you need to ship or mail something on Dec. 23, please bring it to Shipping at Building 69 by 11 a.m. for same-day service. 
    • All services will resume on Friday, Jan. 2.
  • Shuttle Service – Shuttles will operate on their regular schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 23, concluding at 5:00 p.m. Shuttles will not run during winter break and will resume normal operations on Friday, Jan. 2.
  • Site Access – Site Access will follow its normal off-hour access procedure from Tuesday, Dec. 23, to Thursday, Jan. 1:
    • Blackberry Gate will be the only gate for entering the Lab. You can exit via Blackberry or Grizzly Gates.
    • To enter the site, you must badge in at Blackberry Gate or have your name on the approved access list along with a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license (required if driving a vehicle) or passport. 
    • Use your badge if you need to access any buildings.
    • If you experience any issues with site or building access, please contact the Lab’s Site Operations Center at x6999 or 1-510-486-6999.
  • Waste Dumpster Service – Building Managers, check your dumpsters outside of your buildings. Ensure they have been properly secured and there is no overflow of waste that needs attention before the shutdown. Final dumpster service will occur on Friday, Dec. 19. The regular service schedule will resume on Friday, January 2. Please plan accordingly to ensure you do not have overflow. Please contact Enjema Westbrook-Hudson at EnjemaWestbrook@lbl.gov to assist with waste hauling concerns or issues. 

When you leave, please do the following to help conserve energy:

  • Empty perishables out of the break room refrigerators into the central waste stations.
  • Power off computers, monitors, peripherals, power strips, battery chargers, and any non-essential equipment.
  • Unplug space heaters and other heating devices.
  • Shut fume hood sashes.
  • Close doors and windows.
  • Turn off the lights.
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