Paid Leaves of Absence

SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL 502:1

LEAVE – CIVIL AND WORK RELATED

POLICY

It is the policy of the Board to grant leaves of absence from work with pay to all full-time employees who are performing certain civic duties, participating in the formal resolution of workplace conflicts and under certain conditions in accordance with the guidelines established below. Part-time employees will be allowed reasonable leave for same, but without pay.

PROCEDURES

1. Special leave may be granted in daily or hourly increments and is granted with pay for absence from duty in order that the employee may:

▪ be interviewed for another position with the Board; ▪ serve on a hiring interview panel; ▪ serve required jury duty; ▪ appear in court as the result of a subpoena as a victim, witness or other participant in a legal proceeding; ▪ be present for a specified legal procedure as the result of an administrative summons, such as the Division of Child Support Enforcement; ▪. vote in local, state, or national elections; ▪ accompany the employee’s minor child when the child is legally required to report to court; ▪ attend the funeral of an immediate family member; ▪ attend the initial (first) meeting for any covered service with a counselor from the EAP or with another behavioral health service provider/counseling service available to employees who participate in a health plan for resolving issues affecting the employee’s behavior and/or performance in the workplace; ▪ attend seminars, workshops, conference, symposiums, forums, or classes of a work-related nature for the purpose of improving job performance (which must be approved by the Executive Director); ▪ participate in a Grievance Process as a grievant, witness or representative of grievants; ▪ donate blood (one hour); and ▪ serve at a polling place for any election if appointed by an electoral board. NOTE: This does not include other poll workers, political workers, or volunteers.

2. Civil and work-related leave is not granted for use by an employee who:

▪ is a defendant in a criminal matter, either an alleged misdemeanor or felony; ▪ has received a summons to appear in traffic court (except as a witness); ▪ is a party to a civil case, either as plaintiff or defendant; and ▪ attends court when it is part of their job duties.

3. The employee should request use of civil and work-related leave as far ahead as SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL 502:2

possible and may charge time away from work that is necessary to perform the appropriate duties plus reasonable travel time. If duties do not conclude in time to complete a complete shift, then the employee should return to work or request the remainder of the shift as vacation or personal leave.

4. Per Virginia Code 18.2-465.1, any person summoned or subpoenaed to appear in any court of law or equity or is required in writing by the court to appear at any future hearing, shall neither be discharged from employment, nor have any adverse personnel action taken again him, nor shall he be required to use sick leave or vacation time as a result of his absence from employment due to such jury duty or court appearance, upon giving reasonable notice to his employer of such appearance or summons. Employees who are summoned for jury duty and appear for four (4) or more hours, including travel time, in one day may not be required to start any work shift that begins on or after 5:00 p.m. on the day of the appearance for jury duty or begins before 3:00 a.m. on the following day.

5. The Board pays the difference between jury pay and normal pay, and the absence is not charged against any accrued leave credits unless the employee elects to use annual leave credits, with supervisory approval, to retain the fee paid for jury duty.

6. An employee compensated for civil duties, as by jury or witness fees, shall be paid only the difference between such compensation and his regular salary for the period of absence, unless the absence is charged to earned annual leave or compensatory leave.

7. Definition of Immediate Family

Immediate family includes the following: father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, stepchildren, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandmother, grandfather and grandchildren. In the event of death in the immediate family, special leave (and/or funeral leave) with pay shall be limited to three days, except in the event of spouse or child where special leave with pay may be granted up to five days.

Written 10/2012 Reviewed…dmz…10/16/12