Purpose

This policy authorizes the ability to grant eligible employees up to 16 hours of paid leave in any leave year to provide volunteer services through eligible non-profit organizations within or outside their communities.

Authority

Virginia Code Section 23.1-1301, as amended, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to make rules and policies concerning institution. Section 7.01(a)(6) of the Board of Visitors Bylaws grants authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

DHRM Policy #4.40- School Assistance and Volunteer Service Leave

Definitions

Administrative and Professional (A/P) Faculty - Employees who perform work directly related to the management of the educational and general activities of the institution, department or subdivision or whose professional positions serve the educational, research, athletic, medical, student affairs, and development functions or activities of the institution.

Classified Employee - A salaried employee whose terms and conditions of employment are subject to the Virginia Personnel Act, Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2900 et seq., as amended, and who is employed in a classified position.

Leave Year - January 10 - January 9

Preschool - An early childhood program that serves children for more than nine hours per week, at any time from their birth until their eligibility to enter elementary school. While a preschool program may be home-based, like all other such programs, it must be registered, licensed, or certified by the Virginia Department of Social Services, unless it is exempt from licensure under Code of Virginia § 63.2-1715.

School - Schools for which this leave may be granted include any public pre-school, elementary, middle, or high school. This term may include private pre-schools, elementary, middle, or high schools only if the employee has children, stepchildren, or children for whom the employee has custody attending the private school.

School Assistance - Participation in school activities including meeting with teachers or school administrators, attending school functions, or performing volunteer work, as described in this policy, which has been approved by a teacher or school administrator.

Service Organizations - Organizations that (1) are community based or that have extensions of their organizations within a community, and (2) provide services through voluntary efforts of citizens in the following ways:

• Relief to physically or mentally challenged persons;
• Relief to victims of natural disasters or catastrophes (see DHRM Policy #4.17, Emergency/Disaster Leave);
• Health services, emergency relief and shelter, transportation and preparation or delivery of meals;
• Other direct health or welfare services for the economically disadvantaged; or
• Community services that assist residents, including child and youth development.
  • Examples of eligible organizations include those represented in the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, volunteer rescue squads, volunteer fire departments, the American Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity.

Teaching and Research Faculty - Employees whose work assignments primarily involve instruction, research, and scholarly activities, and who hold academic rank/titles.

Wage Employee - A non-salaried employee who receives pay for hours worked and is not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. Wage employees are sometimes referred to as hourly employees. Wage employees have no guarantee of employment for a particular term or a particular daily or weekly work schedule; they serve at the will of the designated hiring official and may be terminated at any time.

Scope

This policy applies to all full-time classified staff, administrative and professional faculty, and teaching and research faculty being paid by the University. This policy is not applicable to wage or adjunct employee classifications.

Policy Statement

Paid leave under this policy provides eligible employees with up to 16 hours in any leave year to provide volunteer services through eligible non-profit organizations. Such service may be provided as a member of a service organization or through authorized school assistance.

Leave under this policy may be used for providing volunteer service through volunteering for non-profit organizations or for school assistance as outlined below:

1. Volunteer Opportunities

   1. Volunteer Fire Departments and Rescue Squads - Members of volunteer fire departments and rescue squads, or auxiliary units thereof, shall be granted paid leave of up to 24 hours under this policy in accordance with Va. Code §2.2-2821.2. This increases paid leave under this policy from 16 to 24 hours in this instance. Note: This time is not in addition to the 16 hours of paid volunteer service leave to provide other volunteer services or school assistance.

   2. Other Volunteer Service Activities - Eligible employees may be granted paid leave under this policy to provide voluntary service as part of an organized service project sponsored by a community, national or other service organization. For example, an employee could be granted volunteer leave to:

      1. deliver meals to the elderly or to needy community citizens through an organization such as Meals on Wheels;
         

      2. attend non-profit boards and committee meetings (Scouts, Big Brother/Big Sister, Red Cross, etc.);
         

      3. participate in activities directly related to non-profit fundraising (e.g., set up/take down, registration, answering phones, recruiting/organizing; training volunteers);
         

      4. do yard work, painting, cleaning, maintenance through a non-profit organization, or;
         

      5. volunteer for Scouts, Big Brother/Big Sister, or other non-profit organization.
         

2. School Assistance

   1. Employees with children may be granted paid leave under this policy to:
      

      1. meet with a teacher or administrator of a public or private preschool elementary school, middle school, or high school concerning their children, stepchildren, or children for whome the employee has legal custody; or
         

      2. attend a school function in which such children are participating.
         

   2. Any employee may be granted paid leave under this policy to perform volunteer work approved by any teacher or school administrator to assist a public pre-school, elementary school, middle school, or high school.

3. Home Schooling

   Employees may be granted paid leave under this policy to assist in the education of their child (or stepchild or child for whom the employee has legal custody) in State-approved home education curricula, including meetings with local school board officials and required field trips.

Procedures

1. Supervisor's Approval

   1. Employees must receive approval from their supervisors prior to using school assistance or volunteer leave. If response to emergency situations as a member of a volunteer fire department or rescue squad will result in tardiness, employees must notify their supervisors according to departmental procedures.

   2. Supervisors may require written verification from an official of the service organization for use of volunteer leave. If the leave is used for school assistance, written verification should be from a school administrator or teacher.

2. Scheduling

   1. Supervisors should attempt to approve leave at the time requested by employees but have discretion to disapprove leave if it would significantly impact departmental operations.

   2. Supervisors may determine that it is not possible to release certain employees under this policy, such as employees in direct care or public safety positions, due to staffing requirements. When adequate, capable back-up staff is readily available, or if it is possible to adjust employees' schedules, employees' requests should be granted. If unable to grant volunteer leave requests, supervisors should inform affected employees as soon as possible after the decision is made.

3. Amount/Availability of Leave

   1. Volunteer Leave may be used in increments of one hour at a time.
      

   2. A maximum of 16 hours of paid leave per leave year will be made available to eligible current employees on January 10 each year and to eligible new employees upon beginning employment. Note: Employees who are members of a volunteer fire or rescue squad departments must be granted an additional 8 hours of paid leave to be used exclusively for the purpose of providing firefighting and rescue services.

   3. Hours of paid leave will be made available to part-time salaried employees in an amount proportionate to the percentage of hours they work in a full 40-hour workweek. Example: Employees working 32 hours per week are entitled to 12.8 hours (or, in the case of a volunteer firefighter, 19.2 hours) of volunteer leave.

   4. Leave not taken under this policy in a calendar year will not be carried forward to the next year.
      

   5. There will be no payment for unused volunteer leave upon employees' separation from State service.
      

   Employees are responsible for ensuring that all leave is accurately reported in Web Time Entry (WTE). Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that all employees' leave is accurately reported and approved in WTE.

Records Retention

Applicable records must be retained and then destroyed in accordance with the Commonwealth's Records Retention Schedules.

Responsible Officer

Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and Strategic Initiatives

Related Information

DHRM Policy #4.17 - Emergency/Disaster Leave

University Policy 6301 - Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Leave

University Policy 6302 - Civil and Administrative Leave for Administrative and Professional Faculty, Classified Staff, and Wage Employees

University Policy 6303 - Emergency Disaster Leave

University Policy 6304 - Military Leave

University Policy 6306 - Immediate Recognition