Ohio Administrative Code › Title 3337 - Ohio University › Chapter 3337-40 - Policies on Discrimination and Benefits › Section 3337-40-24 - Emergency service leave

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
(A)
								Overview
This policy establishes guidelines for
				the use of emergency service leave pursuant to division (G) of section
				4765.01
				and section
				124.1310
				of the Revised Code.
Ohio university will allow all
				full-time and part-time permanent employees paid emergency service leave.
				Bargaining unit employees covered under local 3200 Ohio council 8, American
				federation of state, county, and municipal employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO should
				refer to their current contract for specifics of participation.
A university employee who volunteers as
				an emergency medical technician ("EMT") -- EMT-basic or EMT-1, first responder,
				paramedic, or volunteer firefighter, is to receive forty hours of leave with
				pay each calendar year to use during those hours when the employee is absent
				from work in order to provide emergency medical service or fire-fighting
				service. Part-time employees shall receive a prorated benefit (for example, a
				twenty-hour-a-week employee shall receive twenty hours of emergency service
				leave per year). If fewer than the allocated number of hours of emergency
				service leave is used in a calendar year, the remainder is not accumulated for
				use in any later year.
Compensation shall be at the employee's
				regular rate of pay for those regular work hours during which the employee is
				absent from work.
The employee must meet the
				certification requirements for holding a position as an EMT-basic, EMT-1, first
				responder, paramedic, or volunteer firefighter, and must establish eligibility
				for emergency leave by providing university human resources with a valid
				certification, submitted in accordance with the procedure described in
				paragraph (B) of this policy.
Leave under this policy may be used to
				provide emergency medical service or firefighting service without regard to
				location, including service in response to a distant natural disaster or
				terrorist incident.
(B)
								Verification of
			 certification
A university employee who is a
				volunteer firefighter or volunteer provider of emergency medical services shall
				notify the university of the employee's status as a volunteer firefighter or
				volunteer provider of emergency services upon employment, or not later than
				thirty days after receiving certification as a volunteer firefighter or a
				volunteer provider of emergency services. The employee must submit written
				notification to university human resources using the "Annual Certification
				of
Emergency Medical Services Status"
				form, signed by the chief of volunteer fire department service, or the medical
				director or chief administrator or the cooperating physician advisory board of
				the emergency medical organization with which the employee serves. This form
				shall be re-submitted annually before January first of each year. New employee
				orientation sessions will include notification to the employees of the
				availability of emergency service leave under this policy and of the
				requirements to submit written notification.
(C)
								Request for
			 leave
Employees requesting or verifying paid
				emergency service leave must use the "Request for Emergency Service Leave" form
				as soon as practicable. Whenever an employee is absent from work due to the
				employee providing emergency medical or firefighting service, and the employee
				wishes to use emergency service leave, the absence must be verified by
				providing the employee's supervisor with a completed "Request for Emergency
				Service Leave" form. The supervisor will submit the completed form to
				university human resources.
(D)
								Department
			 notification
If the call to provide emergency
				medical or firefighting service occurs when the employee is already at work, he
				or she will notify his or her supervisor before leaving (or follow standard
				departmental notification procedures for early departure, if one exists). If
				the call to provide emergency medical or firefighting service occurs when the
				employee is not at work, he or she will notify his or her supervisor (or follow
				standard departmental notification procedures for late arrival or absence, if
				one exists) as soon as possible after it becomes evident that late arrival or
				absence from scheduled work may be required in order to provide the emergency
				service. The employee should discuss in advance with his or her supervisor how
				to deal with any situation where it is impossible to follow the usual
				notification procedure while responding to an emergency situation. Supervisors
				should make reasonable accommodations in such situations, provided that the
				employee does notify the department as soon as possible.
(E)
								Leave
			 substitution
Employees who previously scheduled an
				absence using other types of leave such as vacation, should not be permitted to
				use emergency service leave instead of the planned leave.
(F)
								Recovery of improperly paid benefits
The university may use all necessary
				steps to recover emergency service leave benefits paid in error or paid as a
				result of fraud, including adjustments to an employee's pay. An employee who
				knowingly engages in fraud may be subject to civil or criminal charges, in
				addition to discipline under the employee disciplinary process appropriate to
				the category of employment relationship. For further information,
				see:
(1)
									AFSCME 3200 "Collective Bargaining
			 Agreement";
(2)
									Policy 41.012; and
(3)
									"Faculty
			 Handbook, Section II, Part D" (specifically the sub-parts on termination of
			 appointment and loss of tenure).
Replaces: 3337-40-24