The purpose of this policy is to provide uniform guidance for the accrual, use, and disposition of Community Service Leave.

Scope

Definitions

The following definitions apply to all statements in this policy:

1. School. A public or private elementary school, middle school, high school, or a child-care program that is authorized to operate in the state of North Carolina.

 

2. Child. A son or daughter who is a biological child, adopted child, foster child, stepchild, legal ward, or a child of an employee standing in loco parentis.

 

3. Community Service Organization. A nonprofit, nonpartisan community service organization designated as a 501(c)(3) agency under the Internal Revenue Code or a human service organization licensed or accredited to serve citizens with special needs including children, youth, and the elderly. Although religious organizations may be 501(c)(3) agencies, community service leave does not apply to activities designed to promote religious beliefs such as teaching or leading religious assemblies or in raising funds to support religious activities. Community service does include activities supported by religious organizations such as working in soup kitchens, homeless shelters or other community activities.

Options for the Use and Accrual of Community Service Leave

Community service leave may be used for the purposes in either Option 1 or Option 2 below. Unless the employee has notified his or her supervisor of the desire to select Option 2, employees are granted community service leave in accordance with the accrual allowed for Option 1. The employee is considered to have chosen Option 2 at the first request for leave for the tutoring and mentoring option.

If an employee chooses to change options during the calendar year, the maximum hours that may be granted are the maximum hours allowed under the new option chosen, minus the amount of leave already used.

1. OPTION 1

 

This option may be used to meet with a teacher or a school administrator concerning the employee’s child or to attend school-sponsored, non-athletic functions in which the employee’s child is participating. It may also be used to perform school-approved volunteer activities in schools, (without regard to parental status) and to volunteer in community service organizations meeting the definition of this policy.

 

On January 1 each year, employees are granted 24 hours of paid leave per year (prorated for part-time employees working half-time or more). New employees are credited with leave immediately upon employment, prorated at 2 hours per month for the remainder of the calendar year.

2. OPTION 2

 

This option may be used to tutor or mentor a student in the schools of North Carolina. This arrangement must be established and documented by joint agreement with the university and the school involved. Any time used for tutoring or mentoring (including time spent traveling to and from the school) must be accounted for either by the use of the one hour of community service leave or other leave policies. Employees are granted one hour of paid leave for each week of tutoring or mentoring (up to a maximum of 36 hours) that schools are in session as documented by the school.

 

Approval of Leave

Employees must receive approval from their supervisor to use community service leave. The supervisor or other university management may require that the leave be taken at a time other than the time requested, based on the needs of the department. The department may also require acceptable proof that leave taken is within the purpose of this policy.

Additional Time Off For Community Service Activities

The university may allow an employee additional time away from regular university duties in addition to the 24 hours of paid community service leave to perform significant community service activities, subject to the following conditions:

1. Provisions must be made for the employee to either make up the additional time lost or to use the employee’s vacation time or comp time. For SPA and EPA wage/hour subject employees, any hours to be made up should be scheduled during the week the time is lost or when the employee has not worked a full 40 hours to avoid creating an overtime obligation.

 

2. Additional time off is granted at the discretion of the employee’s supervisor or other university management, based on the operational needs of the department or university.

 

3. When university operations require, all arrangements for community service activity time may be interrupted or suspended.

 

4.Consideration will be given to special circumstances such as the importance of the community service activity.

No Carry Over

Transfers and Separation from Employment

Record Keeping

Employees who are using community service leave must request and record community service leave accrued and taken according to guidelines in Policy 08.210. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining records indicating the number of employees involved in community service leave and the number of hours of community service leave used by their employees. Department Timekeepers are responsible for keying Community Service Leave Taken to Banner leave records monthly.