CHANGE IN RULE ON SCHOOL PARTICIPATION LEAVE

In our November 2004 issue, we informed you about use of School Participation Leave. At its meeting on December 15, 2004, the Civil Service Commission amended its rule governing School Participation Leave (Rule 5-10, Paid Holidays and Leave) for NEREs to incorporate use of community leave. Regulation 5.09, Annual, Personal, and School Participation Leave, has also been revised to incorporate community leave. The revised regulation, now titled Annual, Personal, and School and Community Participation Leave, permits employees to use School and Community Participation Leave as described below:

School And Community Participation Leave -- A nonexclusively represented career employee in an indefinite appointment who has completed 1,040 hours of satisfactory service is credited annually with 8 hours of school and community participation leave to be used in accordance with the following provisions:

1.	An employee may use the leave to participate in any school sponsored activity including, but not limited to, tutoring, field trips, classroom programs, school committees, assisting with athletic or music programs, theater and school clubs. The leave may also be used for active participation in any structured secular community activity sponsored by a governmental agency, or a non-profit community organization or agency, and not for mere attendance at school or community events.
2.	School and community participation leave may be used only in increments of one hour, and only for qualifying events occurring during an employee’s scheduled work time.
3.	An employee must obtain prior approval to use school and community participation leave on a form provided by the appointing authority.
4.	School and community participation leave is credited to employees on each October 1 and will not carry forward beyond the fiscal year.

Questions regarding use of School and Community Participation Leave should be addressed to your Office of Human Resources.