DISTRIBUTION:
ANEXT REVIEW DATE: July, 1996
POSITION RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEW: Director, Business Operations
PURPOSE: To establish policy and procedures for granting leave for educational, professional, or job-related skills development programs.
BACKGROUND: FMS supports the efforts of staff members to further their educations. REFERENCE 1 provides guidance, for staff members with a year or more of satisfactory service, on establishing personal, unpaid, leaves of absence of up to one year, with continuation of the employment relationship for benefits purposes, subject to additional conditions and regulations; the purpose of these leaves may be for educational programs and for professional development related to a staff member's current job or to a job that might reasonably be expected in the future. REFERENCE 2 establishes the conditions governing leaves of absence in FMS. For FMS staff members, all other terms of the leave, such as the duration of reemployment assurances, if any, are subject to agreement with the supervisor, and to the approval of the AVP.
FMS supports the efforts of staff members to enhance their knowledge and skill levels in areas that help FMS provide effective support to the university. REFERENCE 1 provides guidance on participation in course offerings and staff training programs; it encourages staff members to discuss their job-related training interests with their supervisors.
POLICY:
FMS policy is that staff members may use up to three working hours per week to attend literacy classes and high school equivalency classes; FMS does not pay the fees for these classes.
FMS policy is that staff members may use up to three working hours per week to attend credit or non-credit classes that are directly related to current job duties and responsibilities; FMS pays the fees for these classes.
FMS policy is that staff members may receive benefits under the university's policies on tuition remission for up to the numerical limit of non-job-related courses approved by the university, at the university or elsewhere; FMS does not provide working hours, and does not pay the fees, for these courses.
FMS policy is that staff members may receive approval for personal, unpaid, leaves of absence to pursue full-time educational or professional development programs related to current job duties or to jobs at the university that might reasonably be expected in the future.
FMS policy is that supervisors schedule release time for class attendance subject to budget limitations, to suitable job performance, and to the requirements of emergency shop or office workloads, of perfect attendance, and of satisfactory progress.
FMS policy is that supervisors negotiate with staff members, and submit for approval by the AVP, the terms of attendance during working hours for non-job-related courses, and the terms of personal leaves of absence to pursue full-time programs; the terms include specific provisions for the duration of the leave, and for reemployment, if any.
PROCEDURES:
1. Staff members attend classes during up to three paid working hours per week by providing their supervisors with class schedules; then as subsequent events occur, they provide their supervisors with their records of class enrollment, of class attendance, and of progress toward class objectives. Supervisors approve the use of paid working hours and allow for class times in work schedules unless work-related or class participation-related conditions require otherwise.
1.1. Staff members attend literacy and high school equivalency classes during paid working hours by paying their fees for class enrollment or attendance.
1.2. Staff members attend directly job-related classes during paid working hours, and with either direct payment or reimbursement of fees by FMS, by providing their supervisors with class content descriptions, and with statements or invoices or receipts for tuition or fee amounts.
2. Staff members take non-job-related courses without pay during working hours by confirming that the course or program is available only at those times, and then by establishing the terms that are required by the university and offered by FMS.
2.1. Staff members attend courses with fees paid by tuition remission by following the procedures in the university's policy statement. Supervisors negotiate time for staff members to take such courses during working hours by developing a plan to complete the remaining hours of work at other times during the same work week.
2.2. Staff members use personal leaves of absence to attend full-time educational or professional development programs by negotiating with their supervisors the time periods of their absences, and their agreement on reemployment opportunities, if any, at the ends of their leaves. Staff members also consult HR-Benefits to establish the terms and costs of provisions that continue during their personal leaves of absence.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Staff members are responsible for attending classes as scheduled, and for submitting the required records of enrollment, and of progress, and the invoices or statements or receipts for fees, for payment or reimbursement as appropriate.
2. Supervisors are responsible for evaluating requests for paid working hours for literacy, high school equivalency, and job-related educational or training purposes and, as applicable, requests for payment or reimbursement of fees, considering shop budget, workload, course content, and performance on the job and in the class. Also, supervisors are responsible for negotiating the terms of absences from work without pay during working hours to attend non-job-related courses, and the terms of leaves of absence to attend full-time programs.
3. The AVP is responsible for accepting or rejecting the negotiated terms of absences from work without pay to attend non-job-related courses or full-time programs.
REFERENCE:
1. Human Resources: A Guide, effective September 1, 1994
2. FMS Directive No. 203, Absences from Work
CANCELLATION(S): None
SIGNATURE:
Gary E. Robinson
Director, Business Operations
ATTACHMENT(S): None