PIM 46: Community Service Leave
Dated: May 11, 2017
Category: Benefits
Contact: Benefits Manager – ext. 0649
References
State of North Carolina General Statutes 166A-30 – 166A-32.
Community Service Leave-Literacy, Tutoring and Mentoring
Governor’s Executive Order #168
Purpose
In recognition of the State’s diverse needs for volunteers to support schools, communities, citizens and non-profit organizations, and recognizing the commitment of University employees to engage in volunteer service, Community Service Leave, within the parameters outlined below, may be granted to:
- parents for child involvement in the schools (as defined below)
- any employee for volunteer activity in the schools or in a Community Service Organization (as defined below), or
- any employee for tutoring and mentoring in the schools.
- any employee for volunteering in a State of North Carolina Public University, Community College System or State agency provided that the service is outside of the employee’s normal scope of duties and responsibilities and that the employee is not receiving any form of compensation for the services rendered.
Definitions
School (public or private) – One that is authorized to operate under the laws of North Carolina and is: an elementary, middle or high school or a child care program.
Public University- A constituent institution of the University of North Carolina
Community College- An educational institution that is a member of the North Carolina Community College System.
State Agency- A State government agency that is authorized to operate under the laws of the State of North Carolina.
Child – A son or daughter who is: a biological child, an adopted, foster, step-child, legal ward, or a child for which an employee stands in the place of the parent (in loco parentis).
Community Service Organization – A non-profit, non-partisan community organization which is designated as an IRC 501(c)(3) agency or human service organization licensed or accredited to serve citizens with special needs including children, youth and the elderly.
Child Involvement: meeting with a teacher or administrator concerning the employee’s child; attending any function sponsored by the school in which the employee’s child is participating. This provision shall only be used in conjunction with non-athletic programs that are a part or supplement to the school’s academic or artistic program; performing school-approved volunteer work approved by a teacher, school administrator, or program administrator.
Community Service –
- meeting with a teacher or administrator concerning the employee’s child,
- attending any function sponsored by the school in which the employee’s child is participating. This provision shall only be utilized in conjunction with nonathletic programs that are a part or supplement to the school’s academic or artistic program,
- performing school-approved volunteer work approved by a teacher, school administrator, or program administrator,
- performing a service for a community service organization
- performing volunteer work for a public university that is approved by a university administrator or other authorized university official;
- performing volunteer work for a community college that is approved by a community college administrator or other authorized community college official, or
- performing volunteer work for a State agency that is approved by the agency head or his/her designee.
Community/Child Involvement Leave Allowance
With approval of the supervisor, an employee is eligible for Community Service Leave as follows:
|
Type of Appointment |
Allowance |
|
Full-time – permanent, probationary, trainee, or time-limited |
24 hours/year OR |
|
Part-time (half time or more) – permanent, probationary, |
Prorated –equal to percentage of full- time amount |
|
Temporary, intermittent, or part-time less than half-time |
None |
The twenty-four hours (24) of paid leave shall be credited to each employee on January 1 of each year, unless the employee chooses the mentoring/tutoring option. New employees shall be credited with leave immediately upon their employment, prorated at two hours per month for the remainder of the calendar year.
Employee Option for Tutoring and Mentoring
In lieu of the twenty-four (24) hour award as noted above, an employee may choose to tutor/mentor in a school. Leave under this option shall be used exclusively for tutoring or mentoring a student in accordance with established standards rules and guidelines for such arrangements as determined and documented by joint agreement between the employee, school and University supervisor.
The amount of community service leave for tutoring/mentoring is one (1) hour of community service leave for each week (up to a maximum of 36 hours) that schools are in session as documented by the elected board of the local education, University, or the governing authority of any non-public school.
Under the tutoring/mentoring option, the employee may use up to one hour of Community Service leave per week. This time is inclusive of the time needed to travel to and from the school site. If more than one hour is necessary, then the employee could arrange with the supervisor to use lunch time, compensatory time, or annual leave to account for time not worked over the one hour per week allowance.
Changing Options
If an employee chooses to change options during the calendar year, the maximum hours that may be granted is the maximum allowed under the new option chosen minus the amount already used.
Approval of Leave
Employees must receive prior approval from their supervisor to use this leave. The supervisor or other University management may require that the leave be taken at a time other than the one requested, based on the needs of the University. The University may require acceptable proof that leave taken is within the purpose of this policy.
Reporting
Employees must enter their community service leave requests in Kronos (the University’s leave-keeping system), including the following information in the comments section:
- Name of the school/organization and indication if it is a 501(c)3 agency or eligible human service organization
- Type of service/participation (i.e. meeting with your child’s teacher, serving food at the soup kitchen)
Employees must provide supporting documentation to their supervisor if requested.
Supervisors should review and approve/deny requests based on the information provided and University policy, consulting with the Benefits Office as needed. Supervisors who approve community service leave will maintain a record of such leave for each employee under his/her supervision as leave is taken. The supervisor will be responsible for assisting the Benefits Office in transferring any unused balance to another State Agency/University should the employee transfer.
Inter-Agency/University Transfer
If an employee transfers to another State Agency/University, any balance of community service leave not used shall be transferred to the new employer. Under the tutoring/mentoring option, the employee should receive approval from the new supervisor prior to the transfer so that any necessary changes may be communicated to appropriate officials.
Non-cumulative
Leave not taken in a calendar year is forfeited; it shall not be carried over into the next calendar year.
Separation
Employees shall not be paid for this leave upon separation.
Additional Time for Community Service
The agency may allow an employee additional time away from regular duties above the 24 hours of paid leave to perform significant community service activities with provisions for the employee to make up the time.
Hours worked in excess of forty during a workweek would constitute overtime under Federal regulations for FLSA non-exempt employees; therefore, it will be necessary for make-up time for these employees to be limited to the workweek in which the time is lost or in a week when the employee has not worked a full work schedule due to such absences as holidays, vacation, sick leave, etc.
The following guidelines for granting additional time apply:
- The amount of time that any employee may be allowed is left to the discretion of the agency head.
- When agency operations require, all arrangements for the community service activity time may be interrupted or suspended.
- Consideration of employee requests should include:
- nature of work – not all jobs permit rearrangement of work schedules,
- the quality of the employee’s job performance with the agency,
- indication from the supervisor that unit performance can be maintained,
- Any special circumstances such as the importance of the community service activity to community relations needs of the agency
Partisan Political Involvement
Partisan political activity during University time and the use of State equipment or supplies for such a purpose are not permitted. Special care must be taken to avoid any possible interpretation that the University is, in fact, permitting time off and in so doing supporting a political candidacy. Political activity must be in accordance with G.S. 126-13 of the State Personnel Act.