Supervisor Training - Time and Attendance

7/12/2012

Office of Human Resources

Agenda

• Types of Leaves• Sick Leave• Permitted/Unpermitted uses• FMLA• Supervisor’s role in managing Sick Leave• Personal Leave• Permitted Uses• Annual Leave• Questions

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Types of Leave

• Sick Leave – is a benefit available to all employees to protect them from loss of income in the event of personal illness, visit to health care providers/practitioners and illness or death in the family.

• Personal Leave – is intended to cover absences for reasons such as religious observances, extraordinary weather conditions and personal business.

• Annual – i.e. vacation

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Use of Sick Leave

• Recovering from illness, injury, operation, or childbirth– Childbirth: 6 or 8 weeks from the birth

• Visits to healthcare providers/practitioners– Includes reasonable travel time

– Doctors, Dentists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists etc…

• Illness or death in the family– There is no special category for Family Sick Leave or Bereavement

Leave

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Family Sick/Bereavement

• Employees may use up to 15 days of sick leave a year for death or family illness.

• Appropriate Uses of Family Sick include:– Providing direct care for an ill family member

– Accompanying a family member to a medical appointment• Limitations, age, illness, or receive medical information

– Being present with a spouse during childbirth

– Providing direct care following childbirth

– Presence during surgery or emergency medical condition

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Bereavement

• Limited only to family members– It may not be used for friends or co-workers

• Family members are generally limited to any relative, relative-in-law, or individual living in one’s household.

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Improper Uses of Sick Leave

• Vacation

• Personal Chores– Picking up medicine at the drug store

– Picking up eye glasses from an optician

– Delivering a hearing aid for repair

• Housekeeping or Homemaking duties– Babysitting children on a snow day

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FMLA

• The Family and Medical Leave Act – is a federal law that gives eligible employees a right to unpaid leave for certain circumstances, for a period up to 12 work weeks in a calendar year.

• Circumstances include– Birth, adoption, or foster care placement

– Serious Illness (Human Resources determines)

– Family member with a serious illness

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Eligibility for FMLA

• An employee must be employed for 12 cumulative months (52 weeks).

• Worked a minimum of 1,250 hours

• Supervisor must notify Human Resources whenever these circumstances or triggering events occur.

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Managing/Monitoring Sick Leave

• Communicate attendance expectations to employees under your supervision

• Consult with Human Resources about Medical documentation requirements

• Ensure attendance records are accurate

• Notify Human Resources immediately of an FMLA qualifying circumstance

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Personal Leave

• Employees receive five (5) personal days a year.

• There is NO category of emergency personal leave.

• Personal leave is not cumulative.

• There is no cash payment for unused personal leave.– Unused during the year; or

– Separation from state service

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Use of Personal Leave

• Employee does NOT have to provide a reason for the use.

• Approval to use is normally granted Subject to operational needs.– Must be legitimate operational needs

• When an employee provides a reason or rationale for personal leave it should be weighed against operational needs.– Use it or lose it is not a valid reason

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Supervisor’s Role Regarding Personal Leave

• Routinely require advance approval for use of personal leave– But be mindful of emergency situations

• Respond promptly to requests for leave

• Remember employees do not need to provide a reason for use

• Reconsider denials when a reason/rationale is provided

• Contact your Human Resources Office with questions

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Annual Leave

• Max of 40 days at the end of any calendar year

• Generally an employee must request and obtain prior approval to use annual leave.

• Each agency/department may establish reasonable procedures for selecting annual leave.

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Prohibited Use of Annual Leave

• An employee may not substitute annual leave for sick leave

– Except when an employee is going to lose either personal or annual leave

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Supervisor’s Role with Regards to Annual Leave

• Familiarize oneself with Agency/Department vacation scheduling procedures

• Respond to leave requests promptly

• Exercise good judgment when approving/denying leave requests

• Monitor employees’ vacation balances–Both good and bad balances

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Monitoring Leave Use

• Supervisor plays a critical role– Communicate attendance policies and requirements– Identify attendance problems– Prevent their further development

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Questions?

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