At last, summer is here! You might want to take advantage of the Voluntary Work Schedule Adjustment Program (VWSAP) to give yourself a little additional time off to enjoy these lazy days of summer. The VWSAP allows employees, with supervisory approval, to take unpaid time off from work without loss of benefits or service credits.

The following describes the basic criteria for Plans A and C of the VWSAP. If you are interested in pursuing either of these options, please consult with your supervisor and your personnel office.

Eligibility Criteria
Banked leave time hours must be exhausted before Plan A or C hours may be used.
Full-time employees who have satisfactorily completed the first 720 hours of their initial probationary period are eligible to participate in the Voluntary Work Schedule Adjustment Program Plan A with supervisory approval. Full and part-time employees who have satisfactorily completed their initial probationary period may participate in Plan C with supervisory approval. Permanent Intermittent employees are not considered full time for VWSAP eligibility.

Employees will not incur a break in service by voluntarily participating in VWSAP.

Non-exclusively represented employees and UAW, MPE, UTEA, SEIU 31M, MSEA and MCO represented employees are eligible to participate. MCO represented employees may only request time under Plan A in lieu of available annual leave or compensatory time. Plan A time is requested in the same manner as annual leave. Security Unit employees are not eligible to participate in Plan C.

Hours taken under any of the following plans may count against an employee's leave entitlement under the Family and Medical Leave Act, if taken for a qualifying purpose.

Participation may impact deductions for Deferred Compensations Plans, 457 or 401K. Employees will be allowed to adjust the amount of their deductions by contacting CitiStreet @ 1-800-748-6128.

Plan A: Reduction of Hours
Plan A allows employees to take hours off work unpaid. Retirement service credits, longevity compensation, step increases, employment preference, holiday pay, annual and sick leave accruals will continue as if the employee had worked and received pay for the Plan A hours. Premiums, coverage and benefit levels for insurance programs (including LTD) in which the employee is enrolled will not be changed as a result of participation in Plan A.

Use of Plan A time does not increase annual leave caps. Employees are responsible for monitoring their leave balances.

Plan A: Multiple Pay Period
Employees may reduce the number of hours worked by one to 16 hours per pay period. Requests may be for any number of pay periods; however, a new form is required for any change in the number of hours requested per pay period. The schedule may be constant or may vary from pay period to pay period. If the employee and supervisor agree to a varied schedule, the employee need not complete the schedule portion of the form.

Plan A: Single Pay Period
Employees may request up to 40 hours of Plan A time in lieu of annual leave use. Use must be in a single pay period, and may only be approved once during a fiscal year.

Plan C: Unpaid Leave of Absence
Leaves will be for a minimum of 80 hours and may be extended at the request of the employee with approval by the employer (appointing authority). No leave shall extend beyond 3 months.

An employee's share of insurance premiums must be pre-paid prior to entry on leave. Accumulated annual and sick leave balances will be frozen for the duration of the leave.

For additional information and the form to request leave under the VWSAP, link to the Office of the State Employer's Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/ose or contact your personnel office.