Temporary Voluntary Unpaid Leave

[Hackler]

Temporary Voluntary Unpaid Leave

PURPOSE
To achieve temporary savings in the State¡¦s payroll expenditures by allowing employees to choose unpaid leave.

SCOPE
This policy applies to all employees subject to the jurisdiction of the State Personnel Department. Participation in this program is limited in time and ends on 6-30-10 unless this policy is expressly extended. Benefits such as, but not limited to health care, pharmacy and accrued leave are not affected by this policy.

STATEMENT OF POLICY
Employees may commit to taking specific date(s) as unpaid leave until 6-30-10. All unpaid leaves under this program terminate on 6-30-10 unless this policy is expressly extended. Leaves longer that 30 days are not part of this policy and must follow existing rules and guidelines. This temporary program does not establish a precedent for nor entitlement to health care benefits for part-time employees.


Employees are responsible for:
„X working all scheduled hours and/or complying with any notice requirements for requesting use of accrued or other leave benefits,
„X adhering to the assigned work schedule and communicating such schedule to co-workers and customers, and
„X accurately recording hours of work and leave time on the official attendance report.

Supervisors are responsible for:
„X determining operational needs and the work schedules necessary to meet those operational needs,
„X allowing employees to choose a schedule to the extent compatible with operational needs,
„X monitoring subordinates to ensure they are working all scheduled hours and/or complying with any notice requirements for requesting use of accrued or other leave benefits, and
„X taking appropriate actions, including discipline, when an employee fails to abide by the assigned schedule and/or the requirements of this and related attendance and leave policies.

PROCEDURES
1. Employees volunteering for this program must submit a list of dates they commit to taking as unpaid leave on the appropriate form (54154) to their authorized management representative. Management may, at its discretion, deny this request at any time.

2. Attendance reports completed for pay periods in which unpaid leave under this program is taken must identify the unpaid leave on the appropriate day(s) in the field ¡§Leave without Pay¡¨ and the phrase ¡§Temporary Voluntary Unpaid Leave¡¨ must be included in the Comment Section of the report.

REFERENCES
Hours of Work / Work Schedules Policy & Statement of Responsibilities & Procedures
Request and Approval Form: Temporary Voluntary Unpaid Leave Request Form

EFFECTIVE: November 6, 2009 through June 30, 2010


APPROVAL ______________________________________________________________________
Daniel L. Hackler, State Personnel Director Date

[Hackler]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE: # 09 – 64


This Executive Directive presents the implementation of the Voluntary Unpaid Leave Program which has been approved by the Indiana State Personnel Department. The Voluntary Unpaid Leave Program is seen as a tool which may be used by State Agencies to assist in reducing costs.

Attached is a copy of the Indiana State Personnel Department policy governing the use of voluntary unpaid leave. The Department of Correction shall implement this policy as presented, with the exception that Custody staff are not eligible to participate in this program. In accordance with the State Personnel policy, this policy shall be effective immediately and will continue through the remainder of this fiscal year, ending June 30, 2010.

The State Personnel Department has designed the attached policy to allow State Agencies to maintain flexibility and control in the use of the Voluntary Unpaid Leave Program. Certain guidelines are to be considered in the implementation of this program:
• This program is a voluntary program.
• Employees who volunteer for unpaid leave will not be eligible for unemployment benefits.
• Managers are not required to approve the requested unpaid leave time and may cancel the unpaid leave request at any time.
• State Form 54154, REQUEST AND APPROVAL FOR TEMPORARY VOLUNTARY UNPAID LEAVE, is to be used when requesting and approving unpaid leave time.
• All unpaid leave time must be scheduled in advance and must be approved by the staff person’s supervisor.
• Any leave request that exceeds 30 days must be approved by the Director of the State Personnel Department. (NOTE: There are special arrangements for benefit payments that need to be made for any leave request that will take an employee out of pay status, so please consult with your HR representative in this case.)





Executive Directive: # 09-64
November 16, 2009
Page 2

• Supervisors maintain the responsibility to conduct and complete employee performance appraisals during this time period.
• Requests for unpaid leave of less than one full work day will be considered.

It is the intent of the Department of Correction that supervisors will authorize the use of voluntary unpaid leave whenever possible. In reviewing and approving requests for the use of voluntary unpaid leave time, supervisors shall ensure that all operational needs of the facility will continue to be met. Staff shall be made aware that in the case of a facility emergency, any previously approved voluntary unpaid leave time may be rescinded and the staff person will be required to report to work as scheduled.

Please ensure that all staff of the facilities are made aware of this Executive Directive and the attached State Personnel Department policy. Additionally please ensure that copies of this Executive Directive are provided to the facility’s Human Resources staff. A copy of this Executive Directive and its attachments are to be posted in an area where staff will have access to review it.

If there are any questions regarding this Executive Directive or the attached State Personnel Department policy, please contact the local Human Resources staff at the facility or the Director of Human Resources, at [phone].