Operational Memorandum # 3

Authority to Release Staff from Work on Other Than Personal Leave.

The Executive Director reserves the sole authority to excuse staff from the normal work schedule due to weather or any other reason. Furthermore, that authority has not been delegated to anyone. Supervisors may be authorized, following consultation with the Executive Director, to release staff they supervise. Supervisors are fully responsible and accountable to the Executive Director for the strict adherence to this policy and procedure. Of course, supervisory staff do have authority to grant personal leave to staff they supervise. Such leave is posted to the Time & Attendance Report under "Time Off" in any column other than that for "Other Paid Leave". Appropriate leave request forms are to be completed, approved by the supervisor and forwarded to the Executive Director at an appropriate and convenient time for his signature.

Staff Responsibility to Give Notice for Absence or Tardiness.

The AACS policy is explicit: staff must notify their supervisors of their whereabouts and approximate time of return to work when it is necessary to be late or absent from the office. Some persons consistently fail to provide any such communication. The AACS Personnel Manual says, "Failure to notify his/her supervisor may result in the employee being in a non-pay status unless he/she provides an acceptable reason why this was not done within one hour of the time he/she was due for appearance on the job." Furthermore, if the employee's supervisor is housed in a location other than that for the worker supervised, the supervisor shall be responsible for notifying the employee's work station of the tardiness or absence of the worker. Don't assume that your supervisor knows where you are or that the offices are closed due to the weather. It is each individual staff member's responsibility to call in, advise his/her supervisor, and/or inquire of any special changes in the work schedule or office closings.

Job "absenteeism" can be, and sometimes is, a serious problem within the agency, not in terms of full days' absences from the job but in arriving to work late and leaving work early. I have, on occasion, personally made telephone calls in the early morning (8:00 to 8:l5) and the late afternoon (4:00 and after) just to confirm whether AACS offices are open for business and our staff on the job. I am disappointed when no one is present to receive these calls.

We are in the business of serving the public. There is absolutely no other reason for us to exist. Could a private business operate for long with such practices? We rely heavily on the personal dedication and honesty of our staff in molding a sound community image and rapport.

Such practice is unfair to our public and dishonest to the agency and the taxpayers who provide our salaries when staff fail to honestly report their absences from the job as leave time rather than hours worked. When leave is necessary, staff can depend on supervisors to allow it. Supervisors depend on our staff to advise them whenever -- early, late or otherwise -- that AACS staff are away from the job, or their offices are otherwise not open to serve the public.

Additional Head Start "Snow Days".

The following administrative policy shall be employed: In accordance with prudent management, and in consideration for the peculiar circumstances pertaining to Head Start and school closings, the termination of operations, through no fault of community-based Head Start staff (Teachers, Teacher Aides, Home Educators, Cooks, and Bus Drivers), and in the absence of other assignment or opportunity to work, the Executive Director shall, following consultation with the Director of Child Development, designate up

to a maximum of six (6) "snow days" per "season" beyond the number for which the entire Agency is closed for which community-based Head Start staff shall receive "Other Paid Leave". Center-based Head Start staff shall be advised of each such approved day by memorandum. The Director of

Child Development will follow up this memorandum with expanded instructions for Head Start staff regarding this matter. After six "snow days" have been applied, affected Head Start staff will be placed on Leave Without Pay. At the end of the school year, these "Leave Without Pay" days will be added back to the AACS/Head Start school calendar in order to assure that Head Start classrooms are open to children the designated number of school days.

Temporary New Work Station Assignment.

Special problems may exist which necessitate the temporary assignment of a "new" work station in order for staff to continue working on matters of critical import. Such cases shall be limited to those which are to the benefit of the agency rather than the employee. There is no justification for such assignment for reasons of employee convenience or desire to remain in a pay status in the absence of useful and necessary work. Such assignments may be in an office or other base of AACS operations nearer the employee's home or even in the employee's home itself.

However, such assignment shall be upon the express approval of the Executive Director following consultation with the employee's supervisor. There shall in no case be allowable time worked outside the employee's official duty station upon the employee's personal election or otherwise without the prior approval of the Executive Director. The following minimum considerations shall apply:

Ordinarily, such special assignment shall be for reasons of inclement weather, particularly deep snow, but other circumstances may be considered and allowable at the discretion of the Executive Director.

Let me suggest that it would be appropriate for all staff to re-read Chapters VIII and IX, dealing with leave and the work schedule, respectively. These policies are established by the Board of Directors and apply to all staff. If you have any question, please contact me. Keep this memorandum available for your reference, along with the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

This memorandum is applicable to Title IX (Senior Community Service employees) and other such collateral staff of the AACS. This, however, does not apply to Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents or other volunteers and enrollees of the Agency.

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