Absence Management for Supervisors

Absence Management for Supervisors
Sponsored by: Governor’s Office of Administration Bureau of Employee Benefits and Services Title page and organizational information to be displayed for participants to see as they enter the training. To ensure consistency in training all supervisors, regardless of their work location and agency, modifications of the script or PowerPoint presentation are only permitted with the written permission from the Governor’s Office of Administration, Bureau of Employee Benefits and Services,

Welcome and Introduction
Instructor to conduct welcome to course and introduction prior to getting into the course objectives. Welcome to Absence Management for Supervisors. I am your instructor, __________. I work in the _________ as a _________. You are all here today as supervisors and managers to receive training on your role in the management of your employees’ absences. In addition, you will learn about the FMLA and commonwealth leave of absence provisions. This will all be important to you so that you may appropriately administer employee absence provisions and ensure the operational efficiency of your organization. Instructor to address “housekeeping” items (one 15-minute break half way through session, location of restrooms, location of snack bar or cafeteria, and address emergency exits) Determine in advance if you will entertain questions throughout the presentation or at certain times, and inform the participants when they can ask questions. Let participants know that if you do not know the answer to the question, you will post it on a flip chart, you will research the answer and let them know within __ days after the class.

Course Learning Objectives
To provide a basic understanding of… Absence Management A Supervisor’s Role FMLA Absences Commonwealth Absence Provisions SPF Absence Responsibilities Who to Contact for Assistance Here are our learning objectives for today. You will have a basic understanding of these items prior to leaving today. [Review slide] Keep in mind, our goal today is not to make you an expert on all absence rules, but simply to educate you and make you aware of basic rules so that you can manage absences and get work done. There are several resources provided in this presentation for your future reference.

Course Layout Module 1: Absence Management Basics
Module 2: Focus on a Supervisor’s Role Module 3: FMLA Qualifying Absences Module 4: Application of SPF Absence Today’s training will be broken into four sections or modules. The first is Absence Management. In this module, you will learn your role in the management of employee absences and how good management can be beneficial to you and the operational efficiency of your organization. Module 2 will provide more details about your role. Module 3 will review specific information on FMLA related leaves. Through this module, you will learn what an SPF absence is and when such an absence is appropriate. Module 4 deals with processing of SPF absences if or when an employee has an SPF absence. We will cover evaluating and approving SPF absences. What you learn in each module will reinforce and expand upon what you learned in the e-LMS computer based training course. Introduce handout #1, e-LMS course.

Absence Management Basics
Module 1: Absence Management Basics We will now begin with Module 1 Absence Management Basics. In this module, you will learn the basics of absence management. In later modules, we’ll explain that some of the basic rules don’t apply to SPF absences, which sometimes have different and special rules.

Absence Management Defined
The dual responsibility of both the employee and supervisor to ensure absences are managed within an employee’s leave balance quotas and entitlements and the commonwealth’s absence provisions while maintaining operational efficiency. The first thing we’ll want to do is establish what we mean by absence management. [Review slide] In other words, employees are to budget and schedule absences within allowed quotas; supervisors are to educate employees so that absences are managed to promote operational efficiency. Think about it this way… We pay employees for working, but we don’t tell them how to spend the money we pay. Employees earn leave for working, and we also don’t tell them how to spend/use their leave. If an employee doesn’t budget their pay, we don’t provide them more pay. Likewise, if an employee does not budget their leave for future absences, we should not provide them more time off.

Why is Absence Management important to you and your employees?
Instructor to pose the question on the slide and use a flip chart to capture ideas. Possible answers: ensure operational efficiency employees need to stay within leave quotas and absence policies makes a supervisor’s job easier when employees are present increases employee morale when policies are followed consistently employees have leave available for emergencies fair and equal treatment reduction of overtime

Importance of Absence Management
Promotes positive office morale through fair and equal treatment of employees Reduces the need for overtime work Increases the efficiency of your operations and makes your job easier Instructor reviews the slide to summarize what was gathered on flip chart. Many of you said these same things.

Roles and Responsibilities
Employee Supervisor Human Resource Office staff The following three groups have a role and responsibilities associated with absence management. [Review slide] We agree that managing absences is very important for many reasons. As you’ll see on the next slides, everyone has some responsibility for absence management.

Employee Responsibilities
Manage leave within absence quota balance limits Request absences in advance, whenever possible Schedule absences at times least disruptive to operations whenever possible Obtain/provide supporting absence documentation as required Adhere to established call-off procedures and attendance work rules Request to use leave in accordance with established policies and procedures The following are absence management responsibilities of the employee. [Review slide] All role information is adapted from the Absence Program Manual M530.7.

How should employees learn about their responsibilities?
Instructor to pose the question on the slide. Possible answers: employee orientation by Human Resources as well as orientation from supervisor, supervisor reminds employee yearly, supervisor reminds employee when they do not follow work rules, from other employees or union representative, counseling sessions employee handbook

Supervisor Responsibilities
Maintain efficient operations Apply the call-off policy consistently Have an understanding of absence types Ensure leave is entered for all absences Timely approve or deny leave requests Monitor absences and counsel employees about leave usage as needed Administer discipline as necessary Review each bullet on slide, then follow with the additional information below that applies to that bullet. It’s a supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that the work gets done. So, it’s important to manage absences based on the workload. We’ll talk more about call-off procedures through a later module, but just note that each organization should have one. Supervisors need to have a general understanding of absence policy and types. Certainly we don’t expect you to be an expert, but we don’t want you to approve leave inappropriately. We’ll also learn that human resources has sole responsibility to approve some absences. Most contracts require requests to be approved within 5 days. For SPF absences, we’ll later learn about your role in designating these absences. Remember to verify that an employee submits a leave request for approval. Accurate record keeping is very important. Often times we get busy and forget to follow-up; use a calendar to remind yourself on a future day that the absence was requested and a leave slip is needed from the employee. You’re responsible for meeting with employees that use excessive absences.

Human Resource Responsibilities
Time Advisors, SPF Coordinators, and Labor Relations Coordinators within the Human Resource Office are responsible for: Providing guidance to employees and supervisors Administering absence policy Ensuring correct processing in SAP There are three roles within the Human Resource office involved with Absence Management. All of these roles have many responsibilities, and only some highlights are listed on this slide. [Review Slide] [This paragraph only applies to PSP and agencies employing doctors] In addition to the responsibilities listed on the slide, the Time Advisor is responsible for all types of absence including sick, parental and family care leave without pay absences for groups of employees not covered by SPF Absence Policy. The SPF Coordinator administers sick, parental and family care absences. In some agencies, the Time Advisor and SPF Coordinator will be the same person. The Labor Relations coordinator is available for advice when counseling is necessary about absences or discipline is needed.

Summary of Module 1: Absence Management Basics
The employee, supervisor and Human Resource staff all have roles and responsibilities for effective absence management. The supervisor has a responsibility to assist in educating employees about absence policy and procedures and administer discipline as necessary. Through module 1, we’ve learned what absence management is and why it is important that everyone understand their role. [Review Slide]

Course Progress Module 1: Absence Management Basics
Module 2: Focus on a Supervisor’s Role Module 3: FMLA Qualifying Absences Module 4: Application of SPF Absence Now that we have completed Module 1, you have some background information. In Module 2, we’ll take a closer look at your role as a supervisor.

Focus on a Supervisor’s Role
Module 2: Focus on a Supervisor’s Role

Focus on a Supervisor’s Role
We will look at your role in … Adhering to a call-off policy Understanding absence types Timely approving/rejecting leave requests Counseling employees [Review slide]

Adhering to the Call-off Policy
Every organization needs one Must be standard and consistent May be different between organizations based on work performed Consult with the Human Resource Office when developing procedures Let’s talk about the first responsibility – adhering to a call-off policy. [Review slide] Instructor to pose this question: What are some acceptable practices for calling-off? Possible answers and responses- Leave a message on voice mail (can’t approve an absence that way, remember we said all absences must be pre-approved, a call back number may be okay to either approve or disapprove with a call back) Leave message with someone who answers the phone (same answer as above) a call-off from home computer through OWA or personal account (same answer as above) Speak with supervisor (good answer) Speak with person in charge (usually a good answer, unless that person doesn’t know employee’s leave balance or work operational needs.) Instructor to pose this question: Is there a specific number of hours from the work shift start that must be adhered too? Answers could vary depending on organization. Handout #2 provides some suggestions for call-off procedures, if your organization does not currently have a policy in place.

Understanding Absences Types
Paid absences with accrued and anticipated leave Paid absences for other qualifying reasons Unpaid absence Extraordinary absences The next responsibility of yours is to generally understand absence types. There are 5 categories of absence types. You need to understand the different absence types to appropriately approve or deny employee leave. [Review slide] To help you understand the types, refer to Handout #3. This handout includes short paragraphs to explain when an absence type can be used. It is just a reference tool and it does not supersede any policy document. You’ll see that some types can be approved by the supervisor while others, usually unpaid absences, have to be approved by the Human Resource staff. In addition, the handout includes absence codes for each type. Draw attention to the SPF Absence codes beginning with the letter “Y”. There are two additional extraordinary absence provisions of which you should be aware for employees with specific needs. Additional sick family is the use of accrued sick leave after using 20 days of absence (150/160 hours). Human Resources determines approval for the use of additional sick family leave. Leave donation is available for catastrophic conditions and severe conditions, and Human Resources and the Office of Administration determines approval for employees to receive donated leave.

What type of leave would you
Exercise What type of leave would you approve for… Refer to Exercise #1 For this exercise use Handout #3 and work with others around you to determine the answers. Remember that there could be several different types of leave used for the situations. Allow 5 – 7 minutes for exercise completion. Walk around and see if anyone has questions or needs help.

What should you consider before approving a leave request?
Now, let’s discuss your role in approving or denying leave requests. Instructor to pose the question on slide. Possible answers: Determine workload/operational considerations Determine how many other employees are scheduled to be absent Verify appropriateness of absence type requested and that leave quota or entitlement is available Consult with Human Resources, if needed

Timely Approving/Rejecting Requests
Employees must request approval of all absences Absence requests should be made in advance whenever possible Emergency requests should be carefully considered for approval/disapproval in accordance with worksite priorities Each request should be reviewed on its own merits Criteria used in review should be applied consistently for all employees Know the time frame for approving absences in accordance with the union contract [Review slide] For a call-off due to illness or for an emergency, a verbal request is appropriate. However, it is a supervisor’s responsibility to ensure the employee submits a leave request upon return to work and ensure the request is approved timely.

Consider this scenario…
Assume operations would not allow leave to be approved, but Mary calls to tell you that her son called her on her way to work to let her know that he missed the bus. You know Mary’s son will be home all day alone if she doesn’t take him to school. We’ve just reviewed that you need to consider operations when approving requests. Let’s consider this scenario. [Review slide] What do you do? Possible answer: Because this is an emergency situation and the welfare of Mary’s child could be compromised, you may approve the absence and tell Mary to report to work as soon as she drops her child off at school.

Unsure it should be approved? After learning the reason for a leave request or call-off, verify whether the absence should be approved For a call-off, it is appropriate to ask for a telephone number to call the employee back if you feel you need to consult with others prior to approval/disapproval [Review slide] Regarding the second bullet, another option to telling the employee that you will call them back after checking availability of absence, is to say, “This request is approved based on what you have told me and availability of the appropriate type of leave. It is your responsibility to only request off if you have leave available. If you do not have leave available, this request could be denied and discipline could result.” This response is also appropriate when an employee is calling off to someone other than their supervisor.

Can absences be disapproved? DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO!! Supervisors control approval of Annual and Personal Leave, based on operational needs Employees must be notified of disapproval and consequences Note: Supervisors may want to discuss issues with Labor Relations staff before denying leave. [Review question] We often find that many supervisor’s don’t know that they can deny absences. Remember, you are responsible for maintaining operations. [Review 1st and 2nd bullets] While an employee has an implied “right” to use paid sick leave, annual and personal leave approval is based on operational needs. And, if an employee exhausts paid sick leave and calls off sick, ordinary annual and personal leave rules apply. Example: You are a supervisor of two timekeepers responsible for entering hours worked for 30 employees. To insure they are paid timely all time must be entered into the system by noon on the Tuesday following pay day. Your most senior timekeeper has already requested and has been approved to be off all week. If the other timekeeper requests to be off the Monday and Tuesday of the same week, the supervisor may deny the absence based on operational need. [Review 3rd bullet]

Timely Approve/Reject Requests
How is a call-off disapproved? You are needed at work because… [project needs to be completed, another employee is scheduled to be off today, etc. OR you have no absence quota available to use]… Therefore, I am disapproving your request to be absent, and this is a direct order to report to work. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action. Note: Before using this script consult Labor Relations staff. This slide depicts a script for a call-off for a personal reason or when the employee is ill but has no sick leave available. [Review slide] Consider this scenario: Joe calls off. He says that he will not be able to come to work because he has an emergency--his car will not start. You know that public transportation is available within walking distance from his home. In addition, this is the 3rd time Joe has used the car as the reason for not being able to make it to work. You tell Joe that you are not approving his absence because this is the 3rd time he has called off because of the car and you know public transportation is available. You give Joe a direct order to report to work or be charged AWOL which could result in discipline. As we said, ordinarily a call-off should not be disapproved when accrued sick leave is available, unless there is reason to suspect abuse. If the supervisor has reason to believe the employee is abusing their sick leave privilege, inform the employee that a medical note is required and of the consequences of not submitting one.

Which response denies a leave request in a call-off situation…
Call-Off Role Play Which response denies a leave request in a call-off situation… Refer to Exercise #2. Ask for two volunteers. Assign one to be the employee and one to be the supervisor. If you are using 2 instructors, one could be the supervisor and one could be the employee. Or, review it as a group exercise or handout. Discuss with the group the discussion points on the exercise answer sheet.

Counseling Employees Counsel as soon as a concern is obvious and
After the counseling, follow-up as appropriate Consult with Labor Relations Review absence records on a regular basis/after each call off Approve or reject reasons for absence Record absences as AWOL if not approved Discipline as required If you have to disapprove leave or if an employee is low on leave, you will need to counsel the employee. Refer to and review Handout #4. After counseling, you need to continue to monitor future absences. [Review slide]

Call the Human Resource Office
When in Doubt… Call the Human Resource Office [Review slide]

Why is it important to ensure all employees receive absence management education?
Instructor to pose the question on the slide. Possible answers: - Enables all employees to have the same clear understanding of absence management - Allows the supervisor to hold employees accountable for management of their absences and leave quotas Education must be continuing, not just at the time of orientation. It is important to annually review call-off policies with your entire staff. This could be done at a staff meeting, and you may also review other work rules and any other information that should be reviewed annually. You may also remind and educate employees during counseling sessions about leave use. And, for frequent leave users, who have nearly depleted their absence quota for the year, you may need to remind them of their absence limits each time they call-off.

Summary of Module 2: Focus on Supervisor’s Role
Supervisors must adhere to call off policies, timely approve/deny absence requests and counsel employees as needed. Employees should be reminded of absence policies and procedures annually. [Review slide]

Module 2: Focus on a Supervisor’s Role Module 3: FMLA Qualifying Absences Module 4: Application of SPF Absence Now that we have completed Modules 1 and 2, let’s review some differences and added responsibilities when an employee has or may have a reason for absence that is protected by the FMLA.

FMLA Qualifying Absences
Module 3: FMLA Qualifying Absences In module 3 we’ll review the FMLA and the details of commonwealth provisions under the FMLA.

Overview of FMLA The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires qualifying employers to provide leave to employees for specific reasons if the employee was employed at least one year and worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 month period. The Family and Medical Leave Act is the federal law that governs the commonwealth’s absence provisions. [Review slide]

Overview of FMLA The leave may be paid or unpaid
Benefits are continued Employees must be offered a right to return [Review slide]

Qualifying Reasons for FMLA
Up to 12 weeks within a 12-month period for… Serious health condition of an employee Serious health condition of a qualifying family member when the employee is attending to the medical needs of the family member Birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child Qualifying exigency when a qualifying family member is called to active military duty This slide includes absence reasons that are covered by FMLA. [Review bullet #1 and #2] Does anyone know what health conditions might be covered as “serious health conditions”? Listen to responses, some participants might give diagnosis type answers. Refer to handout #5 – Management Directive , Definitions, and review definition of a serious health condition. The law specifically defines a “serious health condition” which doesn’t have to be that “serious”. It can be as minor as more than three consecutive days of incapacity with a visit to a doctor and a prescribed medication to be taken. [Review bullets #3 & 4]

Qualifying Reasons for FMLA (continued)
Up to 26 weeks in a 12-month period for… Serious illness or injury of a qualifying family member or next of kin who is a military service member [Review slide]

What occurs if we violate an employee’s rights under FMLA?
Instructor to pose the question on the slide and use the flip chart to notate answers. Acknowledge answers given and specifically reference these points if they weren’t given. 1. A supervisor can be held personally liable for not notifying an employee of FMLA. 2. Additional paid time off might be required WITH benefits, which is a burden for operations as well as an added cost for the commonwealth. 3. An employee who is wrongfully terminated could be reinstated with back pay. And these are just problems for violating the law, you’d likely have grievances to defend under the contract language as well. Handout #6, Supervisor’s FMLA Reference Guide is a good reference tool for additional questions you may have as a supervisor.

Commonwealth Entitlement
SPF Absence provides up to 6 months of leave in a rolling year for… Serious health condition of an employee Serious health condition of a qualifying family member when the employee is attending to the medical needs of the family member Birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child Commonwealth absence provisions are consistent with FMLA, except where the commonwealth provides more generous benefits. Remember, the FMLA requires employers to give only 12 weeks of leave. [Review slide] A rolling year is the 12-month period measured backward from the date of absence. For example, an employee is absent on Mar 1st. Entitlement is reduced by SPF absence used between Mar 1st of the previous year through the date before the absence (through Feb 28th). Keep in mind SPF collectively refers to all three types of absences since one entitlement is provided regardless of the reason. SPF Absence is available and applicable to all eligible employees, except employees who are covered by the PSTA and PDA unions. Note: 6 months is 982.5/1048 hours; prorated for part-time employees

Commonwealth Entitlement
Military Exigency Absence provides up to 12 weeks of leave within a rolling year for… A qualifying exigency when qualifying family member is called to active military duty Military Caregiver Absence provides up to 26 weeks of leave within a single 12 months for… A serious illness or injury of a qualifying family member or next of kin who is a military service member [Review slide] Refer to handout #5 – Management Directive , Definitions, and review definition of a military exigency and caregiver absence. A “single” 12-month period following the date of the first date of absence for this reason. Notice that both military exigency and military caregiver absence may be used by an employee whose family member is in the military, but not by employees who are in the military. Generally, absences that qualify as SPF, Military Exigency and Military Caregiver Absence are designated as FMLA leave. Note: 12 weeks is 450/480 hours and 6 months is 982.5/1048 hours; prorated for part-time employees

Eligibility Requirements
SPF, Military Exigency and Military Caregiver Absence eligibility One year of employment (includes all periods of employment) Worked 1250 hours in the 12-month period preceding the first absence Hours include: regular and overtime hours worked and paid or unpaid military absences Hours do not include: paid absences, unpaid absences and holidays [review slide] Eligibility criteria is the same as FMLA requirements. Except, the following permanent part-time employees need 900 hours worked in the 12-month period preceding the first absence: Management and non-represented employees Employees represented by a union that adopted the provision This exception applies only to eligibility for SPF Absence.

Eligibility Requirements
An employee’s eligibility is measured for each new event (each new or different reason for using SPF, Military Exigency or Military Caregiver Absence). Employees remain eligible for each event for one year, at which time eligibility is re-measured. [review slide] Example: Employee meets eligibility for a 2-month absence that begins on May 21st due to an auto accident. Later in the year, on Oct 1st, the employee has her first absence due to her parent’s heart attack. Eligibility is measured for the new event on Oct 1st.

Intermittent/Reduced-time Absences
SPF Absence Available only during the first 12 weeks of the 6-month entitlement in a rolling year. 12 weeks is 450/480 hours; prorated for part-time employees Military Exigency and Military Caregiver Absence Available for the entire entitlements [review bullets #1 and #2] Because the SPF entitlement is based on a rolling year, the entitlement can change with each absence. Note exceptions Reduced-time absence for parental leave (at agency discretion) Full-time absences of 2 consecutive weeks or longer Absences due to a catastrophic condition [review bullet#3]

Use of Paid Leave All applicable accrued paid sick leave is required to be used Accrued annual, personal, holiday and compensatory leave may be used Anticipated annual, personal and sick leave may be used in accordance with anticipation policies All forms of paid leave, if required or chosen to be used, must be taken before unpaid SPF Absence and paid absences reduce the 6-month entitlement [review slide] The details of paid leave with military exigency and military caregiver absence is detailed in Management Directive Employees who have more than 6 months of paid leave available may use the paid leave beyond the 6-month SPF Absence entitlement. [Only when training supervisors of Capitol Police: Note differences in 4th bullet.]

ESPF Absence ESPF Absence Not FMLA leave Leave is without benefits
Limited return rights Must be contiguous to the expiration of SPF Absence May be used by employees with less then one year employment since last date of hire for absences of two consecutive weeks or longer, but only permitted once within a 12-month period [review slide]

ESPF Absence ESPF Absence (Extended Sick, Parental and Family Care) provides up to 6 months of leave for… Serious health condition of an employee Serious health condition of a qualifying family member when the employee is attending to the medical needs of the family member Birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child [review slide] There is no extension provision (like ESPF) for military exigency or military caregiver absence.

Summary of Module 3: FMLA Qualifying Absences
SPF Absences are generally covered by the FMLA and are sometimes referred to as FMLA leave. There are eligibility requirements and entitlements associated with SPF, Military Exigency, Military Caregiver and ESPF Absences. Communication among the employee, supervisor, and the SPF Coordinator regarding SPF absences is essential. [Review Slide] Handout #7, SPF, Military Exigency and Military Caregiver Policy at a Glance, is a summary of all commonwealth leave provisions under the FMLA.

Module 2: Focus on a Supervisor’s Role Module 3: FMLA Qualifying Absences Module 4: Application of SPF Absence

Application of SPF Absence
Module 4: Application of SPF Absence Because we have so few requests from employees for military exigency and military caregiver absence, we will focus on SPF absences. Now that you have an understanding of what SPF absences are, the next module provides information relating to your role when an employee is covered by SPF Absence. And, remember, you may not have an employee that is using SPF Absence now, but you never know when you’ll need to know this information.

Exercise What do I need to know? Refer to Exercise #3
When courses similar to this have been provided in the past, sometimes just weeks after the course, we get calls from supervisors to say I never thought I’d need to know what to do, but I have an employee that I think needs SPF, what do I do? We want you to call us! This exercise is designed to answer commonly asked questions about SPF. To complete this exercise reference handout #7 and work with someone near you. Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers, we’ll review them together as a group. This exercise can also be done as a group. Review each question with the group and direct them to the answers on Handout #7. Allow 5 – 7 minutes for the completion of this exercise. Answer these questions about SPF Absence using the Policy at a Glance.

All information shared and provided must be kept confidential.
IMPORTANT!!! Communication among the employee, supervisor, and SPF Coordinator regarding SPF absences is essential. All information shared and provided must be kept confidential. [review slide] Communication is very important during SPF Absences to ensure employees are eligible and entitled to use leave. Often times, employees will share information with you about their medical conditions or provide you with copies of their medical information. Please keep this information confidential, but understand that it is appropriate to share this information with the SPF coordinator. If you receive any medical information from the employee, forward it to the SPF Coordinator in a sealed envelope marked “Personal and Confidential”. Do not keep a copy. Management Directive requires medical information to be maintained by SPF Coordinators in separate confidential files not accessible to others. On the next slides, we’ll review each of the roles to determine additional responsibilities for SPF Absences.

Employee Responsibilities
Notify the supervisor of the need to use SPF Absence at least two weeks in advance, if possible Upon request, provide completed forms in a timely manner Follow call-off notification policy Manage absences to avoid needing to use any unpaid absence. [Review slide] While these are mostly additional responsibilities, please note that employees must still follow the call-off policy, and it becomes more important to manage absences to avoid needing to use unpaid leave.

Supervisor Responsibilities
Obtain general knowledge of SPF/FMLA policies and procedures Communicate with employees to determine whether an absence qualifies as an SPF absence Before allowing an employee to return to work, ensure they have been released to return to work based on the Designation Notice or other release from the health care provider Consult with the SPF Coordinator [Review slide] What is most important on this slide is that you need to let the SPF Coordinator know as quickly as possible whenever you suspect an employee’s absences may be due to a reason that qualifies as SPF Absence. We are required by the FMLA to protect all absences and to send notifications within timeframes required by that law.

SPF Coordinator Responsibilities
Determine SPF absence eligibility and entitlement Monitor SPF absences and entitlements Review medical documentation Approve/disapprove SPF absences Prepare notifications to employees and provide copies to supervisors Answer questions from employees and supervisors [Review slide] For SPF Absences, you need to know that your role as a supervisor is limited, and the SPF Coordinator does most of the review, including the approval or disapproval of SPF absences. That being said, as the last bullet indicates, the SPF Coordinator keeps you informed. Just as we expect you to share any information that you have received from the employee. Don’t assume we know the same things you do.

What are some “triggers” that absences may qualify as SPF Absence?
A notification of a need for SPF Absence may be conveyed (or not conveyed) in several different ways. There is one obvious way that you will learn that an employee needs an SPF absence, i.e., the employee tells you. But, let’s focus on some other ways you may recognize an absence as potentially qualifying as SPF Absence, because you learned earlier that it is your legal responsibility to inform employees of their rights to FMLA and generally SPF Absence and FMLA are one and the same. Instructor to pose the question to involve participants. Write ideas on flip chart. Let’s compare the answers you just provided to Handout #8.

Identifying SPF Absences
Simply ask, “Do you or a family member have a serious health condition?” Ask in a private place, possibly in a “counseling” setting Share the Notice to Employees Notify the SPF Coordinator of the discussion, if you believe the absence could qualify as SPF Absence This slide covers what to do next when a trigger is identified. [Review “Simply ask” question] Most employees probably won’t know what medical conditions are considered “serious health conditions”. The Notice to Employees provides the definition. [Review Slide] Refer participants to Handout #9 (Request for SPF Absence). Mention that the Notice to Employees is attached to Handout #5. If an employee does not share a reason for their absences, don’t pressure the employee. Instead, notify the SPF Coordinator. The SPF Coordinator will check eligibility and send the Notice of Eligibility, Notice to Employees, Serious Health Condition Certification form and the Request for SPF Absence form to the employee to officially document that we notified the employee of their rights. In the meantime, SPF absence types should be entered pending receipt of documentation and SPF Coordinator approval or disapproval of the request. If the employee does not return the forms, and absences continue, consult with the SPF Coordinator. There is a handout in your package that reviews a sample script that could be used if you need to ask the employee about their absences. It is Handout #10.

SPF Absence Approval Process
Employee requests leave Supervisor cannot approve or deny absences, but can add comments that are viewable only by the SPF Coordinator The SPF Coordinator will review the leave request and approve or disapprove the SPF Absence based on the medical information provided Supervisors receive a copy of the designation or disapproval notice so they know what leave requests should be approved as SPF Absence Now that you know all about what to ask when the employee has an approved SPF Absence, you need to have a general understanding of how the leave requests flow. [Review bullet #1 and #2] For SPF Absence leave requests entered to SAP ESS, Workflow will route to the supervisor and the SPF Coordinator at the same time. When the SPF Coordinator processes the leave request an notification is sent via to the employee and the supervisor. For supervisors not using ESS and using paper leave requests, refer to Handout #11 Review bullets #3 and #4 and refer to Handouts#12 & 13. This handout is a sample of what you will receive if you have an employee approved to use SPF Absence.

SPF Absence Approval Process
For call-offs, you may ask for the reason… Q-You have an approved SPF Absence; is the reason for the absence due to the approved SPF Absence? A-Yes or No is the only reply needed, except if there is more than one approved SPF Absence reason, in which case you must ask to which condition number the absence applies. Once an employee has an approved SPF absence the only information they are required to tell you at the time of call-off is that the absence is due to their approved SPF absence. If the employee does not offer this information you must ask. [Review slide] Notice, the employee is not required to reveal the diagnosis reason, but only the information in the approval letter of which you received a copy. As a reminder, you should document all information provided by an employee during a call-off (including diagnosis if it is shared) and keep it in a confidential file.

Supervisor Resources in ESS
View employees SPF eligibility and entitlement View SPF Absences linked to the event Review Slide and refer to Handout #14 This resource is an estimate because there could be other absences and factors to consider. Supervisors should always contact the SPF Coordinator to determine eligibility and remaining entitlement.

Return to Work/Rights Employees have the right to return to the same or equivalent job during SPF Absence Employees should notify you of their return to work 24 hours in advance If the designation notice does not cover the entire period of absence, an updated Serious Health Condition Certification form or other type of release to return to work from the health care provider is required [Review slide] Although the employee has the right to return to the same job during SPF Absence, the employee’s position may be filled during ESPF Absence, so all ties with you as the supervisor terminate, if the position is filled. If the employee should request to return during ESPF, you will need to refer the employee to the SPF Coordinator. Refer to the designation notice that you receive for each employee to know when the employee is expected to return. The notice will also state if a medical release is required. If an employee does not produce a sufficient release, they could be sent home. Contact the SPF Coordinator immediately if an employee returns to work without an expected medical release. Note that employees approved to use intermittent SPF Absence are not required to provide additional medical documentation as long as the absences are within the approval period and the reason is due to the approved SPF Absence.

What might constitute possible inappropriate use?
Instructor to pose the question on the slide and get ideas from group. If another example is needed, use this one. Joe is approved to use intermittent SPF due to a back problem. He calls off on Friday and states that his absence is due to his SPF event. On Monday another employee comes to you and states that Joe was seen playing golf on Friday.

Questionable Absences
In the event you suspect possible inappropriate use… Consult the SPF Coordinator Likely, you will be advised to have a counseling session or investigatory interview or pre-disciplinary conference with the employee We don’t want anyone doing stake outs to catch someone in the act of fraud, so…. [review slide]

SPF/ESPF Impact on Other Policies
SPF/ESPF Absences can impact other Human Resource policies Instructor to refer to SPF Absences Impact on Other Policies handout #15. This information may be helpful to you when or if you have an employee using SPF Absence. Some of the items may be more important to the employee than you, but let’s review a couple. You cannot rate someone poorly on their Employee Performance Review just because they are using lots of leave as SPF Absence. You can, however, extend their probationary period if they use a lot of SPF Absence.

Summary of Module 4: Application of SPF Absences
Be aware of SPF Absence “triggers”. Communication and consultation with the SPF Coordinator is essential. Notify the SPF Coordinator when an employee begins or returns from leave. Ensure a medical release is provided as appropriate. SPF Absences impact other Human Resource policies. [Review slide]

Website for employees, www.spf.state.pa.us
SPF Absence Resources SPF Coordinator Website for employees, Website for supervisors, As we’ve said many times, consult with the SPF Coordinator whenever you notice a trigger or have questions. The website for supervisors contains these training resources for your reference.

Governor’s Office of Administration
The End Governor’s Office of Administration Bureau of Employee Benefits and Services Final slide of training that contains training owner.

Absence Management for Supervisors

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Absence Management for Supervisors

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